escape from reality

I had heard about Second Life only once before on the same MTV program that Alyssa mentioned in her post. The program followed a typical introverted teenage girl through her experiences on Second Life as a famous musician. Of course, her real life (or LR as non-"newbies" call it),was completely different and she was far from selling out huge venues in front of thousands of adoring fans. In fact, the girl had never performed in front of anyone.

This is a prime example of the false sense of achievement that Second Life can provide for its users. Given a serious case of stage fright, the girl could never bring herself to perform anywhere other than in this virtual world. The problem with this is that as long as she continues to use the site as a means to express herself, she will never learn to socialize and interact with people in real life. Not only this, but she is also given the opportunity to be whoever she wants to be within Second Life. This may sound like a positive outlet for people to express themselves as they could not or would not in real life, but I think it's a slippery slope to losing yourself. If you change so many attributes about yourself in order to "improve", chances are you're going to become dissatisfied with the person you are in real life. This does not exactly encourage a healthy sense of self.

My overall impression of Second Life was skeptical to say the least. It appears to me to be nothing more than an alternate virtual community that gives people an excuse to escape/avoid the reality of their own lives, pretend to be something they are not, and indulge strange fantasies that should be dealt with by a psychiatrist. I mean really?-- sex? That's just weird.

A Second Life to Live

Second Life enables anyone to be anything they want in this virtual world. People who are unable to express themselves in reality can use this site as an outlet of their emotions and feelings. They can take on jobs and roles that they would never be able to be in real life and this makes them happy. They have Second Life friends who enhance their being and make them who they are in Second Life. MTV did a special called True Life: I Live Another Life on the Web, documenting the life of a teenage girl who lived her dream through Second Life. Her avatar was a musician, like herself, looked like her, but she was only able to perform inside this virtual community. She suffered from severe stage fright and she used this website in order to fulfill her dreams that otherwise seemed impossible. I felt this episode was very creepy because it just seemed so fake to me.

While some people may love the virtual world of Second Life, I find it a bit weird. I understand that some people have social issues, but I feel like they can be dealt with in reality. I do not understand the fantasy of it, why you would use something that actually isolates you, putting you behind a computer to have more friends. The concept of sex in the Second Life also freaked me out. It is like it took the Sims to a whole other level and I really do not get it. I feel like people should put their time and energy into things that are realistic and try to pursue their dreams in this world, the real world.