COVID-19, Westworld Season 3, and the Rise of Reality Bubbles
The COVID-19 outbreak has ushered shut-ins across the world as well as social distancing, layoffs, and all the uncertainty associated with those things. While there are many who remain foolish and ignore these precautions, the rest of us are closeted in our homes or, at the very least, are avoiding public areas save for the purchase of food and necessities.
The pandemic has encouraged what I refer to as ‘reality bubbles’. This is different than the information bubbles we often encounter, such as someone who only watches one news network while avoiding other sources of information. A reality bubble is the extent of our perception of the world. Your home, your immediate family and friends, your job, the places you frequent. The activities you enjoy. This encompasses your reality bubble.
In truth, your reality shares the same characteristics as mine. The laws of nature affect both of us, we both live on the same planet, we’re both using a device to read these words. A reality bubble, on the other hand, is what happens when you curate you experiences. Some things you cannot control — such as COVID-19 — but certain parameters can be tweaked. The media you consume, the food you eat, the people you surround yourself with, and how you spend your free time. (I loathe that phrase since it infers time is a commodity to be…
