Imagine being a student, drained and exhausted after a long day from school. You could not think of any resort to ease your stress. Picture a world where you can meet your friends virtually as if you are together in real life, or being able to do your tasks with the use of a hologram right in front of your eyes. Now, snap back to reality, where all of these are actually just clicks away, but you do not know how to begin your journey.

You ask your friends, nothing. Your parents, they were dumbfounded by what you were trying to ask. Then you look online with the knowledge that you currently have. And there, you found it! Named ‘Extended Reality’ right below your search bar as you click enter.

Now, you are intrigued—looking for gadgets related to Extended Reality almost everywhere. As you finally got an Extended Reality headset, you could not wait to use it. The moment you wore it and the interface lit up, your whole world transformed.

You found yourself standing in a beautiful meadow with pink skies; with grass beneath your foot rippling like waves. You attempted to touch it, and it felt real.

A list of options showed up right to your face. As you clicked your location to be anywhere you want, the meadow suddenly transformed, burning with blue flames, slowly being replaced by the bustling streets of Manila.

You tried to do things that you have never done in real life before—be a virtual jeepney driver; a Binondo superhero; glitch through thick walls— you name it.

Next stop, your virtual house. You attempted to snap your fingers to beautify your new home, and it worked. Everything just magically appeared, from paintings to furniture, you could not even complain for a job well done.

You lost track of your time. You flew throughout the whole country, swam in the depths of the ocean, and created galaxies as you explored all the possibilities inside XR—all while not leaving your tiny bedroom.

After a few hours in the digital world, you took off your headset, and your real-world environment was so plain compared to the digital world. But now, you are not feeling confined. Extended Reality has expanded your world and also your mind. You would carry that feeling of boundless possibility around even with the device off.

For the first time, you finally did not struggle with your student life. The problems and stressors that you received were just a starting point for new journeys in your life with the use of a headset.

Mark Aaron Balbin

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