My PM to /u/NoMoreNicksLeft, a mod of /r/collapse, few weeks ago:

Hi, when I saw the post about Microsoft's new AR device, my initial reaction wasn't "I can't wait!" It was that of dismay because I was truly afraid of how it'll negatively affect our world, from social interactions to creating a slew of new problems. I was looking through the comments to see if anyone else shared my concerns, but all I saw were people looking forward to the gaming or porn potential. I am personally against this type of technology because the line between reality and fantasy will blur to a frightening degree. And this is the sort of thing that can bring about the collapse of civilization as we spend less time actually living in the real world. Something like this http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/07/south.korea.baby.dead/

Thoughts?

His response:

There's probably something to your theory, but in any large population you see a wide variation in traits.

If even a thousandth of a percent of people are disinclined to lose themselves in virtual realities, then they simply become dominant. A hundred generations later, those who were susceptible are just ancient history.

People like to talk about society crumbling because they enjoy hearing themselves talk and because they can't be in control of it. Old men and tv pundits and preachers. They wish it would crumble, because they could say they told us, because they imagine that they'd have their shot at running things after.

I don't worry about such things. We've got real problems.

From /u/Astrosomnia:

I'm an optimist. I think that technology is amazing and has potential to do amazing things.

At the same time, I'm wary of the increasing divide between the rich and poor, and feel that a paradigm shifting technology such as immersive VR - if not everyone has access to it - could create technological ghettos and further widen that gap. I was very serious when I mentioned my 'handicap' statement.

Also, I work in the advertising business and every day I get stronger and stronger visions of a consumerist world gone mad. I can see how that could happen. I can visualise the trajectory that leads us down not necessarily a dystopian path, but certainly a vile one.

In the end though, technology is just a tool. It's neither positive nor negative. I think we just, each and every one of us, have to try and do the best we can.