Theme Park Closes ‘Edgy’ VR Attraction Following Protests From Mental Health Advocates
In the experience, park-goers are admitted to a hospital where they are at the mercy of the staff there. Advocates say the attraction was in "poor taste" and that mental illness stereotypes "were being used by entertainment sources for commercial gain."
The Mercury News:
Great America Pull's Plug On 'FearVR'; Says It's 'Hurtful' To The Mentally Ill
Just days after their Halloween haunts made their debut, California’s Great America and Knott’s Berry Farm have pulled the plug on their newest offering, FearVR, because of concerns that the attraction could be “hurtful to those who suffer from mental illness.” The move comes after mental health advocates in Southern California protested the virtual reality story line about a possessed patient running amok in a hospital. Parkgoers are strapped into chairs, given VR goggles and told to press the “panic button” if the experience becomes overwhelming. (Zavoral, 9/27)
In other news from across the state —
Fresno Bee:
Special-Need Students Hospitalized After Being Tube-Fed Bleach At School
The district’s special education department reported that school staff accompanied the students to Valley Children’s Hospital after they ingested “a water solution which included bleach in it.” According to the National Institutes of Health, ingesting bleach can cause nausea, chest pain, lowered blood pressure, delirium, coma and potentially death. (Mays, 9/26)