This paper discusses the development and implementation of an Augmented Reality (AR) experience called "Light up the Room" that aims to raise awareness and foster empathy towards survivors of sexual violence in Taiwan.
The project was initiated by the Modern Women's Foundation, a Taiwanese non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to advocating for gender justice. The foundation recognized the limitations of traditional offline exhibitions in engaging the public on sensitive social justice issues like sexual violence. By adopting AR technology, the project sought to leverage the immersive and interactive capabilities of AR to enhance public engagement and cultivate a deeper understanding of survivors' experiences.
The "Light up the Room" AR experience allows users to explore a survivor's room and interact with various objects that reveal the challenges they face, such as distrust of others, self-doubt, secondary victimization, and lack of understanding from family. These interactions are designed to transform the room from dark to light, symbolizing the process of illuminating the survivors' shadowed spaces. The goal is to deepen the public's understanding of the survivors' circumstances and create a more supportive environment for them to seek external help.
The project's implementation highlights the selection of the Meta Spark AR platform on Instagram, which offers accessibility, ease of development, and cost-effectiveness for the NGO. However, the platform's policies also impose certain limitations, such as restrictions on content that may be considered shocking, sensational, or violent.
The discussion emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between educational content and emotional sensitivity when addressing sensitive social issues like sexual violence through AR experiences. The project deliberately shifted the focus away from the actual moment of sexual violence to avoid directly exposing users and survivors to the trauma. This approach was informed by the Modern Women's Foundation's previous experience with a controversial public awareness campaign, where a victim's negative reaction led to the removal of the advertisement.
The paper concludes by acknowledging the potential of AR to enhance understanding and empathy, while emphasizing the need for further research to perfect the balance between impactful advocacy and emotional well-being in the context of AR-based social justice initiatives.
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by Chunwei Lin às arxiv.org 04-18-2024
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2404.11305.pdfPerguntas Mais Profundas