Blog 10/22: Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

I'm not very well versed in the realm of virtual worlds.  And so, this week's readings were particularly interesting.  Before I began to analyze the different ways in which these worlds can be used, I first thought about who is actually using them, today.  The first article I read (http://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/), addresses this question quite well in their summary of a program called Second Life. Specifically, the program was popular with people who were seeking an outlet - a world in which they can be someone else. Although I admit that at times this concept sounds interesting; in terms of socialization, what are people finding in these virtual worlds that they cannot find in "real life"?  This question, and perhaps stigma is, in my opinion, the reason why these virtual worlds have struggled in the past.  Because it's still not ok to talk about your virtual life in real life. To answer the first question, the original and most popular way that virtual worlds are being used are for social purposes.  I think that this trend will continue. However, I don't think that it will become widely adopted until we can agree, as a society, that it is equally as acceptable to socialize via the internet as it is to do so face to face.

The second article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?_r=0) from the New York Times, takes a different look at virtual worlds - from an economic/e-commerce perspective. I was surprised to learn that virtual worlds were in 2009 a $2 billion industry - in real life dollars. Given that the article was actually written in the depths of a recession, it was surprising to me that there was such volume in the sector and even more surprising that Second Life reported at 94% surge in their virtual economy.

I think that people are clearly longing for an outlet.  A place were they can be who they want, when they want, and can actually afford to do so.  However,  I would make the argument that we should be focusing our energy and attention in improving our status in the real world rather than online.  We tend to get caught up in technological changes, we invest our time and money into them - and then realize that they were only fleeting.  Real life is here to stay.