living a second life?

If you have never heard of this term before you are bound to be either intrigued, scared and maybe even a little confused. These were my first reactions to the world of second life. Second life is a virtual online world where you create an avatar or replication of yourself where there is no limit to who and what you can be.At first glance I thought it was just another game like Sims or some other virtual but non- real online world. However on close inspection I saw it was so much more, the other people in this world have real people controlling their every move. People in this virtual world had made real jobs, lives and relationships with others and were living and working in this second world as their primary source of living. This form of social interaction is a growing culture and is heading in an upward trend.

Steven Meadows (2008) is the author of the book “I Avatar the Culture and Consequence of Having a Second Life. In the book Meadows states, “The suspension of disbelief has become a grounding belief”. In my opinion I agree with this statement the people who have avatars in second life become attached and feel real emotions and connections not only to their own avatar but also to others creating a sense of belief that this world is real to them. How do we measure what is and isn’t real when there are emotions and feelings involved and a sense of belonging. Is it really so bad to interact in another world and life if your not happy with the one you have been living. If a person is not satisfied in their real first life then it only makes sense to be able to create a world and life where you can be and do whatever you want. In a sense if you can work, live, communicate and build relationships in second life and can profit from the work you do, how is it any different from real life. When is the line drawn between reality and virtual reality in Second Life? And who should be the judge of this?

Based on the amount of members in second life it seems this virtual second world is becoming more and more popular and people are seeking more than just a place to meet new people they are living in this virtual world. However the question has to be asked does second life build a false sense of reality to the people who put their entire selves into this world? And more so how will one ever strive and achieve in their first lives if their never actually living in it.