Throughout history, humans have come up with various ways to communicate with each other. From sending letters on birds, to mail on postal trucks, and eventually the internet. When electronic mail was invented, it would soon become a very convenient way to communicate with someone. Then, with the rise of mobile phones, texting soon became very popular. This leaves us with the question of what is gonna be the next big leap in communication? Due to the internet, there are seemingly an endless sea of ideas of technology that humans could use to communicate with each other, such as a brain implant. However, I am going to argue that augmented reality and AR glasses are the future. 

There are already various augmented reality glasses on the market, even with companies such as Apple and Google making their own. For those wondering, the difference between an augmented reality and virtual reality is that AR is blending the real and digital world together, while VR is an entirely digital world that can only be seen by wearing a VR headset. Google released a pair of AR glasses back in 2013, with a cost of $1,500, while Apple is planning to release their very first pair of AR glasses in 2023, with a rumored price of $2,000. So what exactly can you do with these glasses? You’ll be able to view texts, emails, games and more when wearing the glasses. Being able to see the texts and emails you get in your field of view on your glasses will be very convenient, especially when you can also use a computer to work on other things, instead of having to constantly check your inbox.

Let’s compare AR glasses to another potential way of communication in the future, which is a brain chip that is implanted in your…well, brain. Although the idea of a brain chip may sound far fetched, it actually isn’t that far off in the future. Elon Musk recently declared that he would soon start human testing for his very own Neuralink brain chip. This chip has been tested on various monkeys, with one even dying during the process. According to Reuters, this device transmits neural signals which can be transmitted to phones or computers. Neuralink’s hope is that one day, humans will be able to move a mouse cursor by using their brain. Although this may sound exciting, a neural implant such as a brain chip may not be that great of an idea. Being able to respond to a text message or an email without even having to use a computer might be handy but can also result in many downsides. Corporations and big companies could exploit the use of a brain chip in their favor. Although I do think a brain chip could improve communication, I don’t think it is the most ideal option, especially when compared to AR glasses. Perhaps having a brain implant will become the norm, but currently, brain chips have a long way to go. 

Despite the benefits that AR glasses could potentially provide in the future, there could be various negative effects. In today’s world, many people will text while they drive, which is very dangerous. Imagine if wearing AR glasses became normalized and people started wearing them as they drove their cars. If AR glasses are the future, then there needs to be certain restrictions. They shouldn’t be allowed to be used when driving. There also should be restrictions when it comes to privacy, in terms of data. This is something that shouldn’t just be implemented for AR glasses, but with the Internet in general.