Virtual reality has long been positioned as a technological tool for bridging ideological chasms. If you can live inside somebody else's skin and see things as they do, proponents say, you might more clearly understand that person’s view of the world.
A group of filmmakers—along with some marquee stars from Marvel 's superhero films—have turned to VR in a new attempt to evoke these kinds of empathetic reactions from across society’s dividing lines. After slipping on a VR headset and dropping into a scene of a Black man getting pulled over and interrogated by the police, you might better empathize with those who are policed more forcefully than you. After watching up close as a woman is sexually harassed in her place of work, you might gain more understanding of the power imbalance between genders.Though there are only two episodes so far, the series—called The Messy Truth: The VR Experience—has been nominated for an Emmy for outstanding original interactive program. It’s a project helmed by Magic Labs Media founder, CNN contributor, and former Obama administration adviser Van Jones. The project caught the attention of Brie Larson, the social activist and actor in movies such as Room and Captain Marvel , who appears in one of the episodes.
“I am a part of an industry that some people say is tearing the country apart,” Jones said. “Mainstream media, so-called corporate media, some people say that the business model is making it more profitable to divide people than to bring people together. I don’t want to believe that’s true, but I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to use technology for good.”
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“What we’re talking about is trying to put someone in someone else’s shoes,” Larson says. “One place this really excels is dealing with power imbalance, because it’s an experience that’s very hard to have if your body limits you and you’ve never been in that experience before.”
