Fantasy and Escapism
Since time immemorial, man has been escaping the harsh realities of life through fantasy. It used to be through myth and stories, first passed through word of mouth, then writings once written language was developed. The written word has been a major conduit into another realm of fantasy and escape, with whole genres of literature devoted to them.
More recently, moving images or movies have taken this role. The quest for realism has even taken us to the realm of 3D movies. Through a different path, people have also escaped into another reality of computer games. Role-playing computer games took on more realism with concepts like Second Life. All these rich sources of simulation have a stronger ability to engage one's fantasies through the augmented reality.
As we continue to step further into the concept of augmented reality, and as these depictions become more life-like, it would be a question of time before they two merge. With all the constraints in real life, this alternate reality may become so welcoming that people refuse to leave it.
Who needs heroin or LSD if you can adjust anything you do or so to your every whim and fancy? Yet who would want to face the harsh truth, if the alternate reality feels completely real? It could be worse than The Matrix, for at least there you can lay blame on the machines...
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