Kelly Turner – ENG 281.05 Fall 16

Maybe They Don’t Hit You

Kayla “Red” Zuromski

Andrew Vetsch

Juwan Guinyard

Nina Dondero

Kelly Turner

This is a submission for the U.S. Department of Education EdSim Challenge. This virtual reality experience that is being proposed is an immersive first and third person experience involving emotional abuse and learning about the signs, how the victims feels, and how to help.

Abuse is very common in the American society. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle describes abuse as “a pattern of behavior used to gain and maintain power and control” and can take on many different forms. While physical abuse takes the spotlight for the term of abuse, verbal or emotional abuse is just as dangerous, and even more common. According to the American Psychological Association, about 1 in 10 high school students will experience physical abuse from a significant other, with even more being the victim of verbal or emotional abuse (American Psychological Association). Some of the characteristics of emotional abuse includes threatening, insulting, constant monitoring, humiliation, or stalking by one’s partner (National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle). According to the Global Times, extreme cases of emotional abuse can lead to post traumatic stress disorder.

There are many different behaviors of emotional abuse that many people may not recognize that could cause emotional harm. While some are obvious like someone yelling at their partner, blaming their partner for their abusive behavior, or stalking, there are some behaviors that are not as obvious. These would include intentionally embarrassing their partner in public, making their significant other feel guilty for not wanting to participate in sexual activities, and controlling what their partner wears. Emotional abuse can become even more dangerous, such as damaging property when angry, preventing their partner from seeing their friends and family, and threats to harm one’s pets and loved ones (National Domestic Violence Hotline and Break the Cycle).

When it comes to educating people on this topic, a virtual reality experience involving emotional abuse could immerse the viewer to demonstrate how harmful this abuse is. The experience would be both in first person and third person, allowing the viewer to watch from the outside, as well as become the victim. Before the program starts, there will be a trigger warning for viewers, letting them know of the mature content of the virtual reality experience. For the third person point of view, the person using the virtual reality app would be able to watch as the abuser yells harmful and controlling dialogue, as well as how the victim reacts to the abuse. There will be extras in the background to simulate a public environment and users will be able to see how others react when viewing someone being abused. After viewing the argument, the user will be given three options: do nothing, interfere themselves, or the call the police. For the do nothing option, the viewer will just walk away and not try to help. If they try to intervene, the abuser will either turn their attack on the viewer, or walk away. If the user decides to call the police, the user will see a police intervention between the couple. During the first person experience, the viewer will be in the place of the victim, with the abuser name calling and threatening the viewer. The user will be able to notice the fear the victim has, from a shaking camera and backing away from the attacker. Both of these experiences will promote empathy with the person using the program. By letting them experience these events head on, they will understand how this type of abuse is just as harmful as physical or sexual abuse.

When looking at virtual reality programs that are similar to the one being proposed, one example is the virtual reality program created at the University of Houston. Established in 2002, the program was designed to help people who are suffering from some sort of mental, behavioral, or drug problem. The program puts the users in virtual situations that could trigger them, such as a bar if they have a drinking problem (University of Houston). Through the program, they are taught skills and techniques in real time by a therapist that can stop them from relapsing in the future. The program works by fully immersing them within the situation, including sight, sound, and smell (University of Houston). It offers a safe environment for the user to learn and practice good techniques that could help them out of their current mental state.

When creating the emotional abuse virtual reality, the program that would be the most beneficial would be the Google Cardboard. The set up runs off of a virtual reality app that can be downloaded onto the phone for free, making the experience available to anyone with a smartphone. Google Cardboard would be the most beneficial for the program because of how inexpensive it is. One Google Cardboard is only $30, compared to an Oculus headset which is about $1,500 (Ralph). The program would be able to reach more people because of its price, spreading the information through cheaper means.

If this prototype was ever created, the next step would be to create a virtual reality experience that involves emotional abuse between a parent and a child. Emotional abuse is as dangerous for a child and parent as it is in an intimate relationship.

I pledge on my honor that I have neither given nor received

unauthorized assistance on this assignment/exam.

Work Cited

N.d. About Relationships. Web. 8 Dec. 2016. <http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/covertabuse/>.

N.d. Dr. Phil. Web. 8 Dec. 2016. <http://www.drphil.com/advice/emotional-abuse-the-victim-and-abuser/>.

N.d. Independent. Web. 8 Dec. 2016. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/weapon-of-choice-verbal-abuse-campaign-sees-victims-physically-scarred-by-the-words-used-against-9445886.html>.

N.d. Laurie Idahosa’s Blog. Web. 6 Dec. 2016.

“Love Doesn’t Have to Hurt Teens.” American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 2016. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

Ralph, Nate. “Google Cardboard Review.” CNET. CBS Interactive Inc., 06 June 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

“Safe Voices | Abuse Statistics.” Safe Voices. Safe Voices, 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. <http://www.safevoices.org/statistics.php>.

“Types of Abuse.” Www.loveisrespect.org. National Domestic Violence Hotline & Break the Cycle, 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

“UH Moment: Unique Virtual Reality Lab Expands, Tackles Heroin Addiction.” University of Houston. University of Houston, 28 July 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

Embodied Virtuality vs. Fiction

In Katherine Hayles article “Towards Embodies Virtuality”, Hayles discusses the topic of dualism, or the separation of the body and mind. She believes that this shift in perspective comes from the creation of intelligent machines and the possibility of a population of cyborgs. In the episode of Black Mirror and in the film Stepford Wives, the idea of embodied virtuality is portrayed through the cyborg wives and through Ash, showing the disconnect of the mind and the body through the idea of disembodiment.

The definition of embodiment is “a tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling.” In Hayles article, she describes information “as a (disembodied) entity that can flow between carbon-based organic components and silicon-based electronic components to make protein and silicon operate as a Single system” (Hayles 2). This concept of embodiment, or rather disembodiment can be found in the episode of Black Mirror titles “Be Right Back.” When the main character Ash dies, his girlfriend Martha uses an online chatroom that uses the information found on Ash’s social media and emails to type like he would. This information about Ash helps to display the separation of mind and body, by showing how a majority of a man’s thoughts can still exist without a body for them to reside in. Things like his opinions, his voice, strange terms that Ash has used are analyzed and used by this program to recreate a person’s mind. And he can be carried everywhere with Martha. He is on her phone for when she is hiking, at the doctor, and driving. And when she is at home, he is on her computer. The information found online is a disembodied object, after his body has died, parts of his mind can be recreated and formed into a new machine. This information becomes a “single system” when Martha decides to buy a cyborg version of Ash to put this information into. The cyborg looks exactly like Ash, talks like Ash, and can evolve to act like him using the information from the internet and Martha. This cyborg is the perfect representation of dualism, showing that how the information put into the machine is a separate entity from the machine itself.

This concept of disembodied information can also be seen in the film Stepford Wives. The film is based around a town whose men replace their wives with cyborgs that looks and acts as a stereotypical house wife would. This idea of disembodied information can be seen through the wives and their behavior. Once a wife has been replaced with a cyborg, they act the same as the rest of the other women. For example, they only talk about cleaning, spend all their time in the kitchen, dress the same, and only try to please their husbands. The cyborgs have all been programmed to act like a housewife, and nothing like themselves. The mind and body are separated in this process. While the body may look the same as the original house wife, the mind is completely altered, wiped clean of any of their previous personality and replaced with one that the men find suitable.

The idea that the mind and body are separate is a concept that can be found throughout fiction. Dualism helps to show how cyborgs and human are different, and the future for humans if cyborgs become part of the population.

Mid-Term Essay – Refugees vs. Androids: Where is the Empathy?

In today’s society, hearing about Syrian refugees fleeing for their lives is a major part of the news. Whether it is on T.V., in the newspaper, online, or in the election, the decision to let these refugees into our country is a highly discussed topic. When it comes to the opinion of citizens of the United States, some will believe that it is a horrible idea. From fear of terrorism to using up resources and taking jobs, Americans have always had little empathy for immigrants and refugees that show interest in entering our country. Many examples of this can be found throughout history, including Japanese Internment camps, illegal immigrants from Mexico, and now the Syrian refugees. While reading Phillip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? the similarities between the treatment of android and the treatment of these terrified refugees are evident. The novel involves a bounty hunter named Rick Deckard, whose job is to “retire” or murder androids who are trying to disguise as humans on an apocalyptic Earth. As the novel progresses, Deckard struggles with the concept that androids are more human than machine, and whether they deserve to live or die. The circumstances of the Syrian refugees and the androids in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? are similar to one another, and lead to a lack of empathy from those who cannot relate.

Both of these groups are fleeing their current homes in search of a better life. For Syrians, the land they used to call home has become a war-stricken area. According to statistics from February 2016, around 250,000 Syrians have been murdered because of the violence and destruction surrounding them, along with 13.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance (Amnesty International 2016). They are more than unhappy with their living situation and want to find a peaceful country to live in that will keep them safe. Many of these refugees have resided in other eastern countries. Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt hold more than 4.5 million refugees, but at least 450,000 of those people are in need of resettling (Amnesty International 2016). So while the United States could take in some of those refugees in need, many America citizens are not in favor of letting these people into our country. There are many reasons that U.S. citizens might not want Syrian refugees to enter the United States, but one problem that may be facing Americans is a lack of empathy for this group of people.

In the article “What Becomes of Empathy”, the author explains that many Americans may not experience empathy for these people because they are so different than themselves. The author explains that we feel greater empathy for those similar to ourselves, so people who are a different race, religion, or live in another country are harder to relate to and we cannot empathize with them (Recuber 2016). So if citizens in America are unfamiliar with Syria, the practice of Islam, or living in a war zone, empathy for these refugees may not exist. Another reason Americans might be having a harder time relating to these refugees is because of the society we live in. According to clinical psychologist Authur P. Ciaramicoli, the world we live in makes us more self-centered, stating that “I think we have become a society where we rate status over relationships. We relate image over character and when you do that, you place much less emphasis on the skill or the ability of empathy” (qtd. by Grasgreen, 2010). If our society is more narcissistic and focuses on oneself, it is easy to empathize less with a group of people who are relying on others for help.

In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the androids are fleeing Mars to start a new life. On their pervious home planet, they were used as an incentive to get humans to move to Mars. If the humans moved, they would be given an android to use as a slave. In the novel, a group of six androids fled together to live on Earth disguised as humans. They believe if they kept off of the grid and performed regular jobs, they can avoid being “retired” by a bounty hunter. The humans on Earth do not have any empathy for the androids because they do not see them as a living thing with feelings. In chapter one of the novel, Deckard’s wife, Iran, accuses Rick of being a murderer. He frustratingly responds to her attack by saying, “I have never killed a human being in my life” (Dick 4). Rick and the rest of the police force have no empathy for these android as they retire them, because they are not technically human. That is why they use the term retire instead of kill, because they do not believe that they are ending a life. He sees them as a threat to their humanity and does not care why they are coming to earth, as long as he can make a paycheck off their retirement.

When it comes to both groups, each of them experiences harmful stereotypes. For Syrian refugees, the main concern that faces them is terrorism. Many Americans believe that letting in any Syrian refugees will make it easier for terrorist to gain entrance to our country. This leads to unjustified fear and hatred towards an entire group of people, for little to no reason. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the belief is that androids are dangerous because they are not human. They cannot follow Mercerism, which makes them a threat to their society. Mercerism is a religion that the people of Earth follow that’s main focus is on empathy for all living things. The androids do not have empathy and therefore cannot live in a world where caring for living thing is the highest ideal. Their lack of empathy makes them feared, because they do not stay in the regular mold of society that the humans reside in. This is similar to the fear of refugees due to a lack of empathy. The definition of terrorism is “the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims”. Based off this definition, terrorists are seen as lacking empathy because they not care who is injured or killed in their attacks. Because Syrian refugees have this stereotype following them, some citizens cannot empathize with refugees because they believe they do not have empathy themselves.

While these stereotypes are intimidating, a majority of these groups are the opposite of their violent type cast. When it comes to Syrian refugees, there is almost little to no fear of terrorist entering the United States. According to information from the Migration Policy Institute, of the 784,000 refugees that have settled in America since 9/11, only three have been arrested for planning terrorist activities (Newland, 2015). If society can start to see how little of these people are a harm to society, then empathizing with their situation may become easier. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, there are many examples of harmless androids coming to live on Earth. The main example of this is the opera singer, Luba Luft. In the novel, there is no evidence that she has put any human in danger. But because she is an android, Rick Deckard must retire her. Once the job is done, Rick comes to the realization that Luba did not deserve to be retired. He starts to become regretful, saying that “she was a wonderful singer. The planet could have used her. This is insane” (Dick, 136). He continues his rant, saying “how can a talent like that be a liability to our society” (Dick, 137). He realizes that not all androids are a danger to humanity, and that many have a lot to offer their society. The same can be said for Syrian refugees. By casting out an entire group of people, it is impossible to know what kinds of knowledge and talents they can offer to our country. This lack of empathy is causing our country to lose its diversity, one of the many features that makes this nation great.

It is interesting to see the connections between the androids in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and the Syrian refugees. It is easy to see that both groups have been through hardships that cause them to feel threatened almost constantly. It is important to see how our empathy has a role in how we see other groups of people, and how we can use that empathy to gain understanding and breakdown harmful stereotypes. If we as Americans can try to understand how these refugees are feeling, and the reason for them trying to enter the United States, then we can join together and destroy these harmful stereotypes that are the cause of so much hatred.

Work Cited

Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? New York: Del Ray, 1996. Print.

Grasgreen, Allie. “Empathizing 101.” Empathizing 101. Inside Higher ED, 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.

Newland, Kathleen. “The U.S. Record Shows Refugees Are Not a Threat.” Migrationpolicy.org. Migration Policy Institute, 07 Oct. 2015. Web. 1 Oct. 2016.

Recuber, Tim. “What Becomes of Empathy?” Cyborgology. The Society Pages, 20 July 2016. Web. 2 Oct. 2016.

“Syria’s Refugee Crisis in Numbers.” Amnesty International. Amnesty International, 3 Feb. 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.

Retire All Androids?

In chapter 12 of Phillip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, Rick struggles with his personal view of androids. After retiring Luba Luft, Rick is suddenly upset over her death and debates if he should continue being a bounty hunter. When Phil reminds Rick that bounty hunters are necessary, Rick questions the need for killing androids. He argues that Luba was not a threat to humanity, that “she was a wonderful singer” and “the planet could have used her” (Dick 136). He wonders to himself ,”how can talent like that be a liability to our society” (Dick 137).

The question I have about this section is that is it necessary to retire all androids? Are they all a threat to society or can some of them live peacefully on Earth as long as they do not harm humans?