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.