Is there a place for Second Life, a virtual world, in today’s society?
An alternate world has been created which enables an unlimited number of self-obliging protagonists in the form of a three-dimensional virtual representation of his or her self, to live in a place “where imagination knows no boundaries[1]”. Second Life has been invading the everyday lives of people in this world, and as a popular fad, is spreading fast. At the end of March 2008, approximately thirteen million accounts had been registered, which is a huge amount considering this time-consuming virtual world was only opened to public in 2003[2]. In today’s society, lives are filled with business, play, fun and love: is there really room for people to have a Second Life?
Across the world there are hands creating their own lives through their computers, beginning with the creation of an avatar. Light or dark-skinned, male or female, big or slim [3], the possibilities seem endless. Just a few clicks, and your logged on to a different world, where you change who you are and possibly even bring your dreams to life. A bond is created between the human and their character as they experience ways to dodge cultural discrimination and other personal social restrictions. Off-line status, power, wealth, race and gender have little bearing on your on-line presence and influence; off-line fact is dissociated from on-line ‘fiction’. Even sexual relations can be accessed and performed while influencing an avatar. A mutual desire of two avatars may lead to the co-ordination of a sex act, with accessories available for purchasing. This enables humans who may be too embarrassed, afraid or sexually inexperienced in reality to explore the nature of sex without risking physical humiliation or pain. This does influence an “invasive modification of the human body[4]” and creates, or even increases a sheltered society. With the ability to experience sensations and activities in Second Life, why should users risk the unknown consequences of performing these actions in reality?
The media of typed messaging allows for carefully constructed presentations of aspects of one’s self to others and relationships are formed based solely on what users choose to reveal about themselves. ‘Dissociative Anonymity’ refers to the opportunity which allows users to separate their online actions from their real world and identity, so that actions undertaken in the in-world have no direct repercussions in the physical world; therefore, users feel less vulnerable to judgement and the jeopardising of their offline status. With no revelation of body language or facial expression, a valuable aspect of cyberspace is the anonymity which is created between communicators, serving as a basis for the forming of on-line relationships. ‘Solipsistic Introjection[5]’ is the experience of reading a typed message and hearing a voice within one’s own head representing the voice of the typed message. Either consciously or unconsciously, people assign a visual image to their online companion, imagining their appearance and tone of voice. This online companion now becomes a character within one’s intrapsychic world, shaped by personal expectations, wishes and needs. Each person “impacted by rapid technological change” is almost encouraged to create lies and a false image for themselves to be viewed in their online status. Meeting other avatars and their owner, is a deceptive process, as instead of the avatar representing it’s humans self, it is merely an image of what the user wishes they could be. In terms of morals, building relationships, even if online, through lies and deceit is evidently immoral: not only does it have no future when truth is introduced, but in order for it to survive, more lies must be made.
These escapists leave the real world whenever they please, perform their desired duties, then return without any real change apparent. Each action and all the energy users exercise and waste in Second Life is depriving the real world. By visiting a certain place in Second Life instead of in real life, results in affecting the tourism industry. Purchasing clothes and accessories for avatars reflects the budget used to buy users own belongings consequently affects consumerism. Businesses are beginning to initiate on Second Life which sees businessmen and women online everyday, advertising to sell their interest to avatars, to be used in this virtual world and not benefit the real world in any way[6]. Time and money which should be concentrated on the world we live in, is instead starving real life by being consumed by Second Life. It is almost as if another country has been formed, as the Linden Dollar is Second Life’s very own currency which has a relevant exchange rate for users to change their US dollars in order to benefit their make-believe avatars[7].
“Online text communication can become the psychological tapestry in which a person’s mind weaves fantasy role-play into a hyper-extended reality[8]”. In today’s society, social lives are having the most drastic affect as a result of Second Life. A radical change is already evident as a result of new communication technologies, so the effect of an enlarging Second Life could be drastic. Romance is no longer an intimate relationship and connection two people share, but instead a physically and emotionally distanced feeling[9], which can hardly be described as a relationship and each person sitting behind a monitor, cannot even tell if the significant other they are communicating with through cyberspace is experiencing a mutual reaction [10]. As a result of this culture revolution in science fiction, the more energy being spent on Second Life reduces the impact of reality as more effort is being exasperated into another life. Detriments which could be made to society in the future must be considered in contemplating whether Second Life deserves a place in today’s society. Although the obvious remedy for those socially alienated and who need to indulge in Second Life in order to survive everyday reality, is to make the most of the life you have, instead of trying to invent another one which at the most can only be “pretend”.
[1] Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Four Corners, You Only Live Twice program transcript.
www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2007/s1873399.htm
[2] Nino, Tateru. Key Second Life Metrics for March April 16 2008
http://www.massively.com/2008/04/16/key-second-life-metrics-for-march/
[3] Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace, article February 2005
Adolescents in Cyberspace
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/adoles.html
[4] Lawrence Person in Notes towards a Postcyberpunk Manifesto http://features.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=99/10/08/2123255
[5] Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace, article January 2007
Second Life, Second Chance
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/secondlife.html
[6] Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace Blog (Last updated Friday January 12 2007)
http://psycyber.blogspot.com/
[7] Linden lab
http://www.lindenlab.com/
[8] Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace, article April 1999
Cyberspace as Dream World
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/cybdream.html
[9] Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace, article September 2004
The Final Showdown between In-person and Cyberspace Relationships
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/showdown.html
[10] Suler, John. The Psychology of Cyberspace, article January 2007
The Psychology of Text Relationships
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/psytextrel.html
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