As we embark on a new era of VR and AR devices powered by AI, we can understand the social dynamics that will characterize the mixed reality tools that immerse users in an augmented world further from the realities and possibilities our ancestors ever encountered. Consequently, concerns arise regarding the potential impact on the psychologies of individuals from Gen-Alpha and beyond. Understanding and adapting to these monumental changes in our perception requires us to understand technological evolution by its cycles and the scope of capabilities. Undoubtedly, technological evolution has led to differences in sociocultural connections and cognitive well-being compared to individuals from Gen-X and Millennials. According to Keywords for Media Studies, “[…] passing on knowledge can reinforce existing power structures and conceptions of reality (Ouellette, 2017)”. He implies how our conception of reality is visioned through social media and smartphones being a daily part of our lives, making users more confined in a “surveillance society (Layton, 2001)” constantly being in a fragile state of existence, as our privacy and reactions are becoming a commodity. The upcoming generation of users, accustomed to AI-powered VR and AR devices, holds the potential to reshape the existing power dynamics dominated by smartphones. These devices offer the capability to seamlessly integrate virtual elements into our 3D environment, transcending the limitations of traditional smartphones, which are confined to a 2.5D physical axis for navigational user-interface usability, outperforming the affordance smartphones can do.

Figure 1 shows Apple’s mixed reality headset, “Vision Pro” in a promotional video demonstrating its functionalities. Connects to the idea of why Apple’s Vision Pro might take control of the industries of VR and AR devices, it is not too far-fetched given its previous track record at revolutionizing smartphones and smartwatches. According to the findings of BBC News, being one of the leaders in the industry, Apple’s product ideology is always well-thought-out human-centric technology while having firm barriers for consumers to move elsewhere from their ecosystem (Porter, 2018). Relatively Apple company usually creates a repelling effect in their industry, as it has multiple times changed the game for the smartphone market with the Apple iPhone and its ecosystem, from setting a benchmark for pricing to removing headphone ports. This shift in usability and affordance changed the psychology of its current-generation consumers needing to adapt to wireless headphones, and the industry followed in its footsteps, accepting the steep flagship smartphone pricing of US$1,000 since its introduction of the iPhone X in 2017. In her book ‘Beautiful Users’ (2014), renowned graphic designer Ellen Lupton discusses the various factors that influence product development, ranging from manufacturers’ short-term economic interests to designers’ expressive or theoretical intentions, as well as a community’s entrenched habits and customs (p. 21). Though it takes a lot of research and development for a product to reach a benchmark in performance, once the product outperformance its competitors and becomes the flagship product in its industry, the manufacturer’s interest and the designer’s theoretical intent play a huge factor in setting the communities habitual purchasing power and their customs in constituting that industry. Apple’s iPhone X had done so with their pricing and setting the bounds of having no headphone jack. Similarly, when the price of the Apple Vision Pro’s price was announced at US$3499, many claimed it to be extreme, however, if we logically reason its steep pricing, we can connect to the points of the device being a first-generation one-of-a-kind device from Apple while offering to the users to being a part of their process of exponentially revolutionize the VR and AR headset industry. As it’s constantly breaking and creating benchmarks set for the tech industry.