What do you think about when you hear the term, “virtual reality”? It's been part of the pop-culture and entertainment news cycle for a while, but still feels out of reach. There are cumbersome headsets you need to wear, low fidelity images and poorly designed experiences.

Like or not, VR is on the cusp of changing our lives forever, which is why we were thrilled to have HP’s Global Lead of VR for Location Based Entertainment on the show, Joanna Popper.

A naturally curious person, Joanna’s always been intrigued by the fast pace of change we see on a daily basis. During her time at NBC from 2007 to 2015, she was at the epicenter of a major shift in how we consume television; moving from cable to video on demand and streaming services.

Joanna’s always got her finger on the pulse; with her eyes fixed on what’s coming next. It was only fitting that she land a job in one of the most innovative industries to come out in recent years: virtual reality and immersive computing.

While we shelter-in-place we can't help but think: how might VR change day-to-day life during something like this? Will it connect people and offer experiences that they could otherwise not enjoy, or will VR live up to the dystopian future we often see portrayed in films?

From Joanna’s standpoint and research, VR is not about plugging in and disconnecting from the world around us. It’s about finding new ways to learn, connect, and collaborate in an immersive format. While many people label VR as a product of a dystopian future, Joanna argues that couldn’t be further from what’s actually going on with VR.

In fact, many companies, such as those in the automotive industry, are already implementing the use of VR to review products.

While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, VR is here to stay.