I had never heard of this concept of "Second Life" before the assigned reading for class. I was absolutely blown away by the idea in general, and when discussing further Second Life issues in class on Thursday, I couldn't believe the things I heard. First off, if you don't know exactly what Second Life is, it's an internet program in which you create an "avatar" (a person/animal that represents you in Second Life) and interact with other avatars online. It sounds like a fun chatroom right? Not exactly. Apparently, from what I gathered, users on Second Life go to dance clubs, create buildings, earn money, and pay real money (which I believe is called "Linden Dollars" after the creator of Second Life) to do various things. Furthermore, users can engage in sexual activity with others avatars.
In class, we read articles and discussed the problems and challenges people have with Second Life. For some, it's just a game to meet new people and chat on occasion. For others, it's a way of life. Some people spend hours on end on Second Life, treating it almost as their own real life. How is this healthy? Why don't these people just live out their own lives in the real world rather than have a fake one online?
Another topic that came up in class is Second Life relationships. We read two articles that discussed the sex aspect of Second Life. Would you break up with your girlfriend/boyfriend or even your spouse if you knew they were having a Second Life relationship? Why on earth would they choose to have a Second Life relationship in the first place? The first article we read discussed how there is an emotional intimacy attached to Second Life relationships. The next talked about couples who broke up with/divorced their significant others for their Second Life "cheating." I think all of this talk of relationships on Second Life is nonsense. I don't think an online relationship counts as true love to any extent.
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I have heard the concept of "Second Life" before but not really understand what actually live behind the second life. This is interesting topic when I read the class article and also as we discussed in class about the second life. My first think about this second life was really fun activity because we can explore our own world without having any conflicts like what we having now in the real world. However, if we think further, this second life has not actually benefit to us. We should not stress our think by explore the second live world because it is not the real world which we cannot feel the natural environment which we having now. So, how can the second life in actual fact make us be a perfect person means that the better improvement by us in our lives in the real world? We should believe that having experience to achieve the successful life in second life not same as in the real world. It is meaningless for our life unless we take some references what we doing in second life to doing the same things in the real world. Although having life in second life is really fun, entertainment, and we can meet many people but having life in the real world is very meaningful for us. For example let's say we win the basketball game competition or other games in the video game. We just very proud in the virtual world only but it is meaningless in the real world. We mostly will not having the same experience winning the real world's game. So, this instance really same as the second life compare to the real world. Real world in fact, is the main and important place in our life.
While I agree that this version of second life is a bit extreme and certainly is not something that is appealing to me, its really not a new or surprising evolution in virtual worlds. Second life is really no different than an immersive video game. People invest hundreds of hours and even days into developing characters in games such as World of Warcraft for no “real” reason. Maybe these games and virtual offer some sort of escape or the chance to do something that is not possible in the real world… or maybe they are just entertaining. On the other hand, programs such as second life have some advantages. I know many companies are now using second life for job training and some tutorials. I think it’s a combination of a more realistic approach and something that is more appealing and easy to relate to for our generation. Personally, I don’t understand it and I don’t think I need training spoon fed to me through a video game, but it seems that this is the way of the future for better or for worse.
(DALIS COLLINS)
I agree and disagree with Sasha. I was actually rather sickened by this whole thing. Being raised in a conservative home in the bible belt, marriage has a very strict definition. Also cheating is not a kinda of sorta of thing. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it is a duck (or an adulterous spouse in this case).
However, I don’t think the people who engage in these activities know what love is. In my opinion, what they feel is passion and a transient connection. Often many people are raised without any role models of what a “successful” marriage looks like. It is not all romance and roses but more often than not plain old hard work. Divorce rates are currently just over 50%. I don’t think second life is the problem so much as the opportunity it provides for people to do what they want. It is like alcohol, it is not bad inherently. It is only “bad” if someone puts it to use that way.
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