CEO Sleepout’s use of virtual reality slammed as ‘tone deaf’
The Vinnies CEO Sleepout – which this year included executives and employees from various media and adland companies including Nine, Fairfax, Carat and Mamamia – has been criticised for giving CEOs virtual reality headsets so they can experience “the realities” faced by homeless people every day.
A video which showed eight CEOs weaing virtual reality headsets in a noisy room at the Sydney event was posted to Twitter, and it wasn’t long before people were pointing out the disconnect between the expensive technology and the situations regularly faced by Australia’s homeless.
Our Sydney CEOs using virtual reality to get a glimpse of the realities faced by the people who experience this everyday. #CEOSleepoutAu pic.twitter.com/b53wqESdLA
I met a guy one that used this as a networking opportunity. Sickening.
This is a rubbish article. Why even mention the names of Mia and Kylie. Take the non-issue raised by a few people tucked up in their beds last night up with the organisers of the event not people who took the time to participate and raise money.
Mumbrella is becoming a bit like the Daily Mail sensationalised rubbish journalism.
I think virtual reality is interesting.
I, for one, would volunteer to lead a team of micturating marauders who would randomly pee on sleeping CEOs as well as dress as police and drag them out of their cardboard beds to be searched.
Should be hilarious.
Wait, wait, I got an idea to support battered wives… see, what we’ll do is pretend to beat up rich women and, and, er, well that’s it.
I rest my case if Mumbrella allows the offensive diatribe condoning the bashing of women from John Hollands to be printed then expect the rubbish journalism will continue. You should be ashamed.
Don’t be such a dope. John Hollands is being sarcastic and making a point about the thought processes of the sort of people who think up virtual reality homeless experiences.
You’d have to be pretty silly (or deliberately misunderstanding to score a point) to think he’s suggesting beating up women,
Mumbrella, thousands of people were involved in a phenomenal cause, the raising of significant funds for homelessness, and additionally investing in the future of this exceptional initiative by using powerful technology (VR) to immerse influential people in situations that they hopefully would never find themselves in.
Its this emotionally moving immersion that helps build long term empathy amongst a group of powerful ambassadors who can genuinely move the needle in helping this and other causes.
There was a great story to be written here, about the positive intent of thousands of people Australia-wide who actually did something, conceived this initiative, organised it, sponsored it, donated hard earned wages, slept out in the cold/wet.
Instead, you chose to focus on a few bored, nay sayer, thumb warrior haters on twitter who did absolutely nothing – apart from tried to tear it down.
This all comes back to INTENT, please think about the intent of those thousands who actually did something, versus the intent of a few lazy self righteous tweeters, and then maybe consider your intent in publishing this piece.
You have elevated the thought bubbles of a few naive negators who will never understand the important nuance of why a charity and sponsor would invest in such an emotive experience, and given those thoughtless bubbles weight over ALL of the hard work and positive energy of what’s a truly great cause.
This is exactly how disgraceful pile-ons start, and Mumbrella you need to consider your purpose and real value in the ecosystem if this is your ongoing approach.