Building H #84: Brave New Face

It is a core belief of ours at Building H that major new technologies, over time, shape social norms and rewire our day-to-day behaviors, with often dramatic consequences to our health. So it’s no surprise that we followed with interest Apple’s unveiling this week of the Vision Pro, its new device/computing platform. How important is this? Given that hot takes on new tech introductions tend not to age well, we won’t take the bait and predict whether the Vision Pro will have a long lasting impact, but, considering Apple’s track record of transformative products, their ability to divine and, if we’re being honest, to shape consumer desires, and the powerful ecosystem of consumers and developers they have cultivated, it would seem foolish not to take the announcement seriously.

What is the Vision Pro? It’s a mixed reality headset that offers immersive entertainment experiences, both by shutting out one’s environment and replacing it with 3D digital content, and – more typically, enabling the layering of digital content over your vision of the physical space that surrounds you. More than just a gaming headset, Apple is positioning this as a full-on computing platform, as transformative as the Mac and the iPhone have been – and demonstrated how one uses it to surf the web, text, hold FaceTime calls and more. They see it as the way we will “communicate, collaborate, work and enjoy entertainment.” It’s super expensive at $3,499, but it’s only version 1.0, and, if you adjust for inflation, cheaper than the original Apple II at its launch.

We look at the Vision Pro through our lens of how it could, should it become commonplace, affect our health behaviors. Will it make us more or less physically active? Will we get out more or stay inside? Will we be more or less social? Again, we’re hesitant to speculate on which use cases will predominate and which behavior patterns will emerge over time, but it’s worth paying attention to what Apple chose to emphasize in its keynote. There’s the promise of a more active interface with our computers – with Vision Pro, you’re not tied to a desk, which could be positive (although to be fair, there’s a whole lot of sitting in their videos of how it’s used). There’s a heavy emphasis on entertainment as it would essentially take the experience of watching TV and movies – and of playing games – to a whole new level. It looks amazing – though one might question whether we need reasons to spend more time on entertainment, especially entertainment that appears to be consumed alone, in the privacy of our own indoor spaces. (Apple also didn’t depict any scenarios of a more intriguing use of augmented reality, where entertainment content is layered upon real, physical outdoor spaces.)

Apple is clearly paying mind to the social experience of the Vision Pro, emphasizing how, even while wearing the headset and interacting with projected content, users will still see people walk into their space and be able to interact with them. The projection of the user’s face onto the screen to enable others to see their eyes is a nice touch – although it suggests a norm of leaving the headset on while interacting with others. While, thankfully, they didn’t show people chatting over coffee while both wearing headsets, the image of a begoggled dad watching his children play and recording his view to create a cherished memory is a bit cringe and raises questions about one’s ability, when wearing the device, to be truly present. Social connection, after all, often hinges on really being in the moment with someone and nothing signals a lack of commitment to the present moment than imposing your personal portal to an unlimited world of digital content between yourself and your companion.

Apple has marshaled its legendary technological and design prowess in truly impressive fashion and Vision Pro is the culmination of decades of progress in these dimensions. But it begs the question of their vision of the lives they hope for people to live in the future – and the society we’d get as a result. For technologies designed to be this personal and this central to people’s lives, that question is essential.

What do you think of Apple’s new vision and its potential impact? Add your comments below.

Some news about Building H:

We are delighted to announce that we have received our first grant! Funding from Einhorn Collaborative will support our work on the next iteration of the Building H Index, specifically to refine our approach to measuring how products and services influence the social engagement of their users and by doing so, either build greater social connection or create risks for increased social isolation and loneliness. The grant will support a collaboration between Building H and the Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC). F4SC will engage members of its Scientific Advisory Council, led by renowned researcher Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, to apply their knowledge on social connection to Building H’s methodology for assessing entertainment, food, housing and transportation products and services. The grant will also provide funds to support three new consumer surveys that will examine the health habits of users of products and services in three industries that we’ll be adding to the Index: social media; video and computer games; and personal transportation. We’re so excited to work with the team at F4SC and grateful to Einhorn Collaborative for their support.

We’re also welcoming a new member to our team: Cheryl Collins joins us from USC’s MPH program to work with us on the Building H Index. She’ll help out with our analyses of companies in the food industry. Welcome Cheryl!

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