With the emergence of the internet and other technologies, people are living online - literally. Virtual worlds allow users to live vicariously through their online characters (called avatars) in fantasy worlds. These worlds can be as fantastic as those of "World of Warcraft", or as realistic and mundane as the virtual worlds of "The Sims," or "Second Life." There are many positive uses for virtual worlds, but they also have their fair share of problems.
Virtual worlds can be a positive tool for people who are immobile. For instance, these individuals can create avatars of themselves in Second Life and experience running, or dancing, or even flying! Those who have difficulties in social situations will feel comfortable living in a virtual world. For example, a virtual learning center was created in Second Life for those with autism:
"For people with autism, we've found it's a very nice way of setting up situations they might come across in their everyday lives," Bignell said. "For people who have social, emotional, communicational problems ... we can get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life." (Saidi, 2008).
Another benefit of Second Life is the ability to offer online learning. Several Universities have created virtual campuses where students can walk around, interact with other students, and even go to class (professors hold virtual lectures). A list of educational institutions that use Second life can be found here.
Businesses see the potential of Second Life as well. Many companies are now using the virtual world to create virtual meetings, saving time and money:
According to Linden Lab, creators of Second Life, more than 1,400 organizations -- including large companies, educational institutions, government agencies and even the U.S. military -- use Second Life to hold meetings, conduct training and prototype new technologies more efficiently (Tutten, 2009).
Businesses can also reach out to customers through Second Life. They can even test out new products before they are launched in the real world. For example, Mazda allows virtual users to test drive their cars in Second Life. More about the Mazda test drive can be found here.
But virtual worlds are not all about fun and games. Such a limitless medium is bound to have a dark side. A major problem for these virtual worlds is the amount of time spent living in them. Virtual world addiction can lead to countless hours spent gazing at a computer screen. Users get so immersed in these virtual worlds that they often forget about the real world. In fact, the cartoon South Park even parodied this addiction in their episode titled "World of Warcraft."
Second Life has also seen it's fair share of controversy. A virtual world is a place where anybody can act out on their desires - apparently even pedophiles:
Britain's Sky News TV channel uncovered a virtual playground hidden away behind a strip mall in "Second Life" — a playground where little girls who looked about 10 years old offered the Sky reporter's avatar, or virtual representative, a variety of sex acts (Foxnews.com)
The openness and anonymity of Second Life creates a variety of dangers (similar to those of the internet in general). These dangers include pornography and gambling as well.
But on a more positive note, the openness and the "rule-free" foundation of virtual worlds allows creativity to flourish. In Second Life, you can basically be anything you want. Want to be a vampire? Check. Superman? Check. You want to be Brad Pitt? Beyonce? Check. Check. In this limitless world, you can run, drive, bike, swim, climb, leap tall buildings in a single bound, even fly. Virtual worlds omit real world constraints. Gravity? What's that? Physics? Unheard of. You also have close to unlimited resources (including money). In Second Life, you can "quaff Champagne, teleport to private islands and splurge on luxury brands that are the cyber equivalent of Prada waders or a Rolex watch" (La Ferla, 2009).
Second Life allows companies to tap into their creative imaginations as well. As mentioned above, companies can test products in Second Life before they bring them out in the real world. Companies can also create fantastical products and/or environments that would not be possible in real life. Just imagine walking through Disney Pixar's virtual world.
So where do virtual worlds go from here? The underlying technology fueling these virtual worlds will grow to keep pace with the creativity of it's users. I believe that as users (specifically businesses and learning institutions) become more comfortable with the virtual environment, there will be a rise in the productivity of virtual worlds - meaning they will become increasingly useful to society. As long as people spend more time on their computers and on the internet, virtual worlds will grow - hopefully as a supplement to the real world and not a replacement for it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/28/sl.autism.irpt/index.html#cnnSTCText
http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/index.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,306937,00.html
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