Can VR teach us how to deal with sexual harassment?
Through the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, I find myself in an industrial, light-strewn office space – a far cry from the windowless basement office I’m sitting in.
There are four “co-workers” with me – a woman, Rachel, and three guys – talking about an upcoming conference in Las Vegas. The conversation takes a locker room turn, with the men joking about afterparties, vodka and Jacuzzis. Rachel tries to bring the conversation back to her presentation. Suddenly the boss grabs her arm and says: “Rachel, one very important note. Remember it’s a party, pack something … fitting.”
Rachel snatches her arm back and is noticeably uncomfortable. Suddenly, I receive a text message from my co-worker Chris on a virtual cellphone I’m holding (actually the VR controller). He’s noticed Rachel’s discomfort and asks: “So that just happened. Should we say something?”
This scenario is part of a corporate sexual harassment training program called created by the entrepreneur Morgan Mercer, a two-time survivor of sexual violence. It uses the immersive properties of VR to place people directly into scenes that illustrate the subtleties of grooming, harassment and discrimination in a visceral and interactive way.
