Social Virtual Reality (Social VR): How Liquid Consumption Can Facilitate Social Interactions

We live in a liquid society that is always in a state of flux [7]. As societies try to adjust to the liquid reality of being, social transformation and the emergence of new traits that govern members’ interactions are introduced [6]. Despite the fact that liquid societies’ traits are adopted by some individuals [26], the dominance of these traits in a given society might leave others in social isolation and disconnectedness [4]. YouGov research shows that, more than any other age group, 11% of young people aged 16–24 in England are likely to report feeling lonely often/always [16]. Furthermore, the absence of a close social network for individuals plays a major role in experiencing loneliness in a country like the US [18]. The aforementioned observations indicate that more individuals today are experiencing isolation and drifting away from social interactions. The paper in hand investigates how modern liquid consumption of social VR applications may impact social interaction in the context of growing societal isolation. Despite the rise of social VR and its potential to address loneliness and disconnection, research on its social and consumer behavioral impact remains limited [4]. The findings indicate that through the inclusion of certain cue features in social VR, users seem to perceive their virtual experiences as socially enriching and loneliness diminishing. By exploring the adoption of social VR apps and tech as a consumption choice, this research is expected to promote further understanding of how such technologies may or may not facilitate social interaction in today’s loneliness-inclining societies.