This week I found the article \u201cFrom Reality to the Hyperreality of Simulation\u201d by Paulo Barroso (2022). It explores how hyperreality relates to the concepts of virtual reality and simulation, detailing the distinctions between the concepts and how they combine with modern communications technology to reshape how we live our lives and perceive reality. Barroso makes the point that hyperreality is both a function of the technology which allows for the endless reproduction of images and the technological communication infrastructure itself, and that these same technological advances have now progressed to where communication is no longer just a human-to-human phenomenon, but frequently involves humans communicating with technology itself in the form of chatbots and other computer programs (2022).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The article argues that the end result is a society conditioned to exist in a constant state of augmented or virtual reality, as digital communications technology is not only pervasive but increasingly comprises the space where many people spend most of their time, resulting in a state where reality as a shared concept becomes less and less tied to objective physicality and is more dependent on the interactions between the sets of signs and symbols which characterize the digital space (Barroso, 2022). In short: when the majority of human experience becomes filtered through technology which can effectively blur the lines between what\u2019s real and what\u2019s virtual, \u201creality\u201d becomes untethered from tangible experience of the world. Hyperreality takes its place, and truth becomes rooted in what is potential or possible instead of what is actual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article effectively lays out the philosophical underpinnings for my project. My goal is to use tropes from dystopian science fiction settings in a context which directly implicates the viewer through the use of interactive video. One of the characteristics of effective media from this genre is taking an aspect of contemporary life and exaggerating it to a degree which gets the audience to critically consider the world in which they live in now. Barroso\u2019s arguments give me a theoretical basis for arguing why my work\u2019s take on hyperreality could exist as a plausible possibility while reflecting back something the viewer\/participant could recognize in their own lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was wondering for a bit if straight up calling the organization in my project \u201cThe Department of Hyperreality\u201d was taking things a bit too far, but now I think it\u2019s the right move. The question isn\u2019t whether the prospect of a society organized mostly around images and digital communication would read as too ridiculous, as you could make the argument we\u2019re basically already there in 2026. Then the question becomes what could happen to make a society champion that fact to the point where it becomes one of their central organizing principles? What would it feel like to live somewhere that long ago discarded the notion that objective truth was worth upholding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week has been slow in terms of progress on my project, mostly due to me coming down with a nasty cold last Saturday. It feels frustrating because now that I\u2019ve decided on a workable direction for my project I\u2019ve become more excited about building out more of the idea but my energy levels and ability to focus have been hampered by my body trying to get well again. I\u2019m trying to balance rest with staying on top of my commitments, and now that I\u2019m rounding the bend on getting over the cold (knock on wood) I want to step up my efforts in expanding the world as well as starting in on the project pitch and initial media, which should also help to clarify where my thinking is in the project and what next steps I should take. That said, I have emailed one of my prospective committee members, and he\u2019s agreed to serve on the committee, so that\u2019s good! I plan to email the other prospects in the next couple of days so that this portion of the project can be over and done with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reference: Barroso, P. (2022). From reality to the hyperreality of simulation. Texto Livre<\/em>. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.35699\/1983-3652.2022.37426<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week I found the article \u201cFrom Reality to the Hyperreality of Simulation\u201d by Paulo Barroso (2022). It explores how hyperreality relates to the concepts of virtual reality and simulation, detailing the distinctions between the concepts and how they combine with modern communications technology to reshape how we live our lives and perceive reality. Barroso … <\/p>\n
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