Leisure in the Digital Age: An Analysis of the Movie “Ready Player One” in the Context of Digitalisation of Leisure

Year 2024, Issue: 11, 431 - 462, 15.03.2024

Ahmet Elnur

https://doi.org/10.56720/mevzu.1428798

Abstract

In this study, the transformative effect of virtual reality and the digitalisation of leisure are examined through the analysis of the movie “Ready Player One”. The detailed exploration of how individuals’ leisure experiences are digitalised and shaped in the virtual reality platform known as OASIS forms the main objective of this study. Based on document analysis, this research consists of three parts. The first part is focused on the digitalisation of leisure within the context of the plot and spatial construction of the movie. By analyzing the representations of production and power relations in the physical and virtual worlds depicted in the movie, it is revealed how individuals’ leisure experiences are shaped in OASIS through cultural references embedded in the digital realm. The consequences of excessive immersion in virtual reality, including addiction, social isolation, the blurring of boundaries between physical and virtual reality, and the effects of digitalisation on leisure, social dynamics, and socioeconomic inequalities are explored in the second part. In the third part, the potential of virtual reality environments like OASIS to facilitate social change and transformation is examined, and the social implications of the digitalisation of leisure in a broader context are discussed. The need for a detailed investigation of the power dynamics inherent in digital spaces and their impact on social inequalities is emphasized. This study aims to deeply understand the immersive and transformative effects of digital leisure. It acknowledges the positive effects brought about by the digitalisation of leisure while also addressing ethical and social issues such as equal access to virtual environments, individual empowerment, and well-being. By examining the narrative, social dynamics, and societal effects of virtual reality depicted in the movie “Ready Player One”, this study offers an exploratory perspective on the digitalisation of leisure in today's digitalised society. Understanding the possibilities and consequences of the digitalisation of leisure is crucial in our increasingly digitalised world, where new technologies shape our leisure experiences and social interactions.

Keywords

Digital leisure, Escape, Metaverse, Technological transformation, Virtual reality

Dijital Çağda Boş Zaman: Boş Zaman Olgusunun Dijitalleşmesi Bağlamında “Ready Player One” Filminin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Çalışma kapsamında sanal gerçekliğin dönüştürücü etkisi ve boş zama-nın dijitalleşmesi, “Ready Player One” filmi üzerinden irdelenmektedir. Bireylerin boş zaman deneyimlerinin OASIS olarak bilinen sanal gerçeklik platformunda nasıl dijitalleştirildiği ve şekillendirildiğinin detaylı bir şekilde ortaya konulması, bu çalışmanın amacını oluşturmaktadır. Doküman analizinden yararlanılan bu araştırma, üç bölümden oluşmaktadır. Birinci bölümde filmin olay örgüsü ve mekânsal kurgusu bağlamında boş zamanın dijitalleşmesine odaklanılmakta, filmde tasvir edilen gerçeklik ile sanal ortamdaki üretim ve güç ilişkilerinin temsilleri çözümlenerek, bireylerin boş zaman deneyimlerinin dijital alana gömülü kültürel referanslar aracılığıyla OASIS'te nasıl şekillendirildiği ortaya konulmaktadır. İkinci bölümde bağımlılık, sosyal izolasyon, fizikî ve sanal gerçeklik arasındaki sınırların bulanıklaşması ve dijitalleşmenin boş zaman, sosyal dinamikler ve sosyoekonomik eşitsizlikler üzerindeki etkileri de dahil olmak üzere sanal gerçekliğe kendini aşırı derecede kaptırmanın sonuçları keşfedilmektedir. Üçüncü bölümde ise OASIS gibi sanal gerçeklik ortamlarının sosyal değişim ve dönüşümü kolaylaştırma potansiyeli incelenmekte ve boş zamanın dijitalleşmesinin sosyal etkileri daha geniş bir bağlamda ele alınmaktadır. Ayrıca dijital ortamların doğasında var olan güç dinamiklerinin sosyal eşitsizlikler üzerindeki etkilerinin detaylı bir şekilde araştırılması gerektiğinin altı çizilmektedir. Dijital boş zamanın sürükleyici ve dönüştürücü etkilerinin derinlemesine anlaşılmasına odaklanılan bu çalışmada boş zamanın dijitalleşmesinin getirdiği olumlu etkileri dikkate alınmakta, aynı zamanda sanal ortamlara eşit erişim, bireysel güçlenme ve iyi oluş gibi etik ve toplumsal konulara da değinilmektedir. "Ready Player One" filminde tasvir edilen sanal gerçeklik anlatısı, sosyal dinamikler ve toplumsal etkilerin ele alınması sayesinde bu çalışma, günümüzün dijitalleşen toplumunda boş zamanın dijitalleşmesine dair keşfedici bir bakış açısı sunmaktadır. Boş zamanın dijitalleşmesinin olanak ve sonuçlarının anlaşılması, yeni teknolojilerin boş zaman deneyimleri ve sosyal etkileşimleri şekillendirme biçimlerinin anlaşılması açısından önem arz etmektedir.

Keywords

Dijital boş zaman, Kaçış, Metaverse, Sanal gerçeklik, Teknolojik dönüşüm

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