2nd Life

I first heard about "Second Life" in my Intro to Media Industries course last year.  At first, it sounded like something for people with no lives.  After all, it is called "Second Life."  After reading about it, I learned that there is a lot more to it.

"Second Life" can be used in a ton of different ways.  It seems like if it is possible in real life, you can do it in "Second Life."  There is crime in "Second Life" and even a currency.  I feel like some people are at a great risk of getting addicted to this virtual world.  I personally believe that it is a waste of time, and wouldn't want to get involved.  

While there are some positive aspects of "Second Life" (can be used for education), I believe that it is not a good substitute for real life.  People should not use it to hide from their true lives.

Isn't One Life Enough?

Most of the time when I think about my life I look back and see my mistakes and just try to avoid them in the future. There's drama, there's fun, there's misery, there's love, and there's happiness, what more could you ask for? Well some people think there's more to life than just that. Some people use the website "Second Life" to live a second life. Now I'm not sure if I'm just a simpleton, but I have plenty of trouble keeping my first life straight and not mixing stuff up, how can I expect to lead a whole new virtual life?

Most of the time to get a better idea about how these sites work I'll get a profile on it, however Second Life is something that I'm going to steer clear of. Maybe I just have tunnel vision, but Second Life just seems to be a site where people can live their dreams online in a world without regret or true consequence. I don't see this to be a necessity or even a hobby by any stretch of the imagination. I'd much rather spend my time doing something semi-productive on the computer rather than monitor my imaginary life superimposed on a computer screen.

When I hear the word "Avatar," I normally think of the blockbuster James Cameron film, however avatars are just the bodies through which people live their Second Lives through. Every time I hear "avatar," I think that everyone is 9 feet tall, blue skinned and lives on a planet named Pandora. It just not seem practical to me to have a virtual life to live out your dreams. Your dreams are something that you should strive for in real life, not in some virtual reality like the Matrix. Come on people, isn't one life enough?

What's real?

I think that Second Life is a way for people to escape from their life and live in a fantasy world. I kind of understand it as a promotional tool as Dr. Levinson describes when trying to sell his book, or as Lost used it. Lost's use of its own satellite website in conjunction with the Second Life island was a really creative idea and would really work to bring fans together. It would also allow those working on the show to see feedback from viewers and get a feel for what the show's following really wants from it. However, I wonder how profitable it really is to use it as a means for making money. I know that Dr. Levinson referred to a few people making a large sum of money, but I would think that typically people would be breaking even or losing money, especially since all the extras in second life have to be purchased. Let's face it, no one wants to walk around in a virtual world naked and basic. So, I feel like people would get lost in this virtual world and would be at risk for becoming too comfortable in it. They might ultimately grow to prefer Second Life to their real life and not want to leave. I feel like it would become addictive and people might sit in front of the computer for hours developing relationships that they may never experience in person. It is an interesting phenomenon because I remember playing the Sims and loving it, but at least aside from paying for the version of the game, the rest was free. Second Life seems like it could draw people in and in a way take their money as they become more and more consumed with the virtual reality.