The idea is that there is some who have social anxiety and that the VR headset Oculus Rift is coming out soon.
Why not release a game that simulates in a virtual reality form, the typical normal daily life interactions that people suffering from social anxiety have problems with.
You could also gather stats based on how often the person is facing (and in theory maintaining eye contact) to people in the simulated scene.
There is already Virtual Reality treatment for mental disorder such as PTSD and Social Anxiety, but it often consist of going to an expensive VR facility with mental health specialist. While very helpful and much more immersive, it is expensive and cannot be done very often.
But with the upcoming tech Oculus Rift threatening to bring affordable VR tech to the masses, it would be a good time to think about ubiquitous anxiety management software.
Alternatively or in conjunction, you could also include 3d video of real life actors buying stuff in supermarket, using two head mounted cameras to maintain eye contact. This could be a subscription every week with different scenario, but the '3d interactive' simulation will remain free (and constantly updated to improve accuracy and immersion).
The idea is that before they go off to do a typical task outside, they can sit down in front of their computer and simulate that task.-- mofosyne, Jun 10 2013 Oculus Rift http://www.oculusvr.com/HUD VR headset [mofosyne, Jun 10 2013] Oculus Rift Development Kit Running PTSD Therapy System http://www.youtube....watch?v=ZKtyAUIh6F0Is currently being developed for treatment in a clinical setting. Why not make one for the lounge room? [mofosyne, Jun 10 2013] What is an Oclus rift?
[EDIT - it's called "Oculus Rift"]-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 10 2013 Yea it was sent on my mobile phone. Am now going to make this a wee bit more detailed now lol-- mofosyne, Jun 10 2013 And this observation caused you laugh out loud? Odd.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 10 2013 Anything in life can be made funny, its all in the perspective. I'm sure the same can be made about social anxiety, its about perspectives as well in some sense. Anyhow, I think I finished making this post more detailed. Hope it makes more sense. Its not really a new OMG super innovative concept, but I think we got the tech for it now.-- mofosyne, Jun 10 2013 To what extent does this need to simulate routine activities? For example, existing virtual environments (I know little of these - Second Life, maybe?) will surely migrate to VR when the technology is widely available. Wouldn't these work equally well?
Rofl.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 10 2013 I don't know, I or others would be tempted to hack into the anxiety management software to insert 'jump scares' of whatever the patient's phobia was - spiders, clowns or whatnot. (especially whatnots <shudder>)-- AusCan531, Jun 10 2013 Not a bad idea. [+]-- Alterother, Jun 11 2013 Response to: MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 10 2013
Second life I would imagine could still be quite scary as the user knows there is a real human on the other side of the keyboard.
What a sufferer of Anxiety disorder would need is a controlled setting or environment, where you can specifically specify environmental variables such as number of NPCs or how NPCs will react to you (eye contact).
Its the difference between playing a training mission vs online multiplayer.
Surely somebody could create an opensource (or kickstarter project on it?) software for this?
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Response to: bigsleep, Jun 10 2013
Might be a good idea, have occationally a version where you act out a daily life of an average victorian man( Chimmy sweeping?) or women(bone crushing corset fitting?)
Response to: AusCan531, Jun 10 2013
Yup, that would be terrible.-- mofosyne, Jun 12 2013 random, halfbakery