Oculus Rift
A visitor tastes food using Tasteworks technology, a Virtual Reality experience created by Dan Garrett and Alex Kitching of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London that augments and stimulates taste, during a design competition showcase of wearable technology at the Augmented Human International Conference in Singapore March 10, 2015. Reuters/Edgar Su

In today’s increasingly mobile landscape where there are over four billion unique mobile users in the world, it is not surprising that nearly two thirds or about 65 percent of American adults are hooked on social networking sites. These sites are mainly attractive for being packed with various functions, which have also become a means of entertainment for mobile users.

The convergence of entertainment and social media sites has evolved into the full entertainment package where news, videos, music and chat are available in one mobile app. The entertainment industry taps on social networks because today, people spend more time on social media than anything else. According to Pew Research data, 74 percent of online adults devote their time to social media than any other activity. This prompts marketers make their efforts — technologies and applications — social media friendly or even centric.

Back in the day, online messaging was only possible on Yahoo or America Online (AOL). These sites allowed the exchange of messages in real time. However, the increasing mobile engagement led to the development of mobile apps that offered everything, according to AdWeek. Big companies are already investing in acquisition of the mobile social sphere, just like WhatsApp, WeChat and Facebook, which have acquired video, music and messaging apps.

Technology is taking a step further with its social media functions with the introduction of virtual reality. Manufacturers of the Oculus Rift and HoloLens redefined the idea of messaging.

Today, Microsoft’s holoportation is making its way into the messaging realm where users are able to see, hear and interact with remote participants also using the Hololens. The technology behind this futuristic interaction is a series of high-quality 3D models of people reconstructed, compressed and transmitted to anywhere in the world.

Another modern VR is the introduction of the Oculus Rift, which will be the first of the three big headsets coming to the market aside from HTC Vive and PlayStation VR, the Forbes reported.

The emergence of VR technology is a testament to the power of these innovations. The nature of technology is a powerful force in the development of civilisation and extends human’s abilities to change the world, move things from one place to another and reach farther through hands, voices and senses, as described by Science for All Americans (SFAA).

Smartphones slowly replaced desktop computers, while fully automatic home and office appliance evolved to the introduction of the Internet of Things and now from simple text messaging to engaging in social media sites. The invention of the Internet also played a huge role in the revolutionary changes in the mobile landscape. People have become dependent on connecting to the Internet that the constant need to be connected led to the development of WiFi routers, signal boosters and network extenders such as those from 5BARz International emerged.

According to the SFAA, human presence strongly impacts the direction of technology which is mainly used for survival, easy access to goods and services, communication, health and services and entertainment. The same human presence and inventiveness direct technologies that will be undertaken and paid attention to.

Furthermore, the SFAA reveals that locations decide which technological options will prevail and what are socially acceptable. While there are conflicting social theories where technological change has brought about social change and vice versa, there is only one thing clear: Technological evolution has become inevitable.