This great article was suggested to me by Lewis, who works with children with special needs in Northampton. It’s made by BBC newsround so it is targeted towards kids and young people – but the simplicity of this article is great for newbies too.
It talks about the different uses of VR and how it helps people. Here’s where they talk about education and therapy:
Virtual reality: Helping Manchester Arena survivors
Back when your parents were kids, VR didn’t have very good graphics, the sound wasn’t very good and it was limited to what you could actually do within the VR world. Now, it can offer a truly immersive experience and is used in lots of important ways.
VR field trips could soon become more common in schools and would allow virtual tours of cities or museums.
Earlier this year, students at Oxford University explored ancient Rome through virtual reality, seeing how it would’ve looked a thousand years ago.
It also means that those with disabilities or mobility issues maybe able to see places that they would otherwise face difficulty reaching.
VR can also help with mental health treatments and the NHS is looking at ways the technology can help patients.
Sometimes places have a strong connection with traumatic or upsetting events. Those places can be difficult to revisit for those affected
VR can help by gradually reintroducing victims to those places, and it has been used in this way recently to help those affected by the Manchester Arena attack.
Not only can VR help with mental health, it can help with physical health too, with the technology being used as a fun way to heal and rehabilitate people who have lost limbs or had bad injuries.
It is great to see more and more articles showing the benefits of VR & technology in improving mental & physical well-being.
P.S
They also have an amazing page to help kids and young people who are upset after the news. It gives some great advice for when the news make us feel scared or worried – which I think affects us all.
