Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

As technology continues to advance, it becomes easier for individuals to come together through what is called a virtual world. This is a computer-based environment where people can get together using avatars and interact in a "live" mode.

In Dave Itzkoff's article, "I've Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life," he talks about his experience trying to hop bars and see a show in the Lower East Side (LES) of New York City. As we all can relate, the city is packed from front to back no matter which bar you step into on the weekends. However, thanks to MTV, they're experimenting VLES, a virtual LES so you can avoid all the pushing and shoving. He was able to watch the show he initially wanted to see from the comfort of his own house without worrying about smelling like spilled beer by the end of the night. He described it as an in-between of Facebook and Grand Theft Auto. By being a part of this virtual world, he was able to connect with fellow explorers through instant messaging and see the city in a whole new light. A woman he met on VLES said, "there's no way that you're going to go onto a flat Web site or message board and instantly strike up a conversation with somebody who works for MTV or IBM or the president of Harvard, but these things are possible in virtual worlds." Virtual worlds allow for greater opportunity and chance to experience something you wouldn't normally have if you were just walking the streets of LES.

But are virtual worlds going to take over the world of socialization? While this may seem convenient at the time where we don't have to deal with the 3am drunkies on the streets of NYC or pay for the overpriced cab home, it stops us from human interaction and talking face to face with people. The internet could also be a very dangerous place for people to browse, especially when it involves socializing virtually. Many people have been tricked into believing someone was not actually who they said they were. There have been instances where two people have met up after talking on these virtual worlds and one of them ended up being a kidnapper. There are just so many potential risks that come along with virtual worlds and socialization. While I think it's a creative idea, I would rather stick with the old fashioned way of getting dressed up and bar hopping. In Mark Tutton's article on CNN, Surinder Kahai, an associate professor from Binghamton University said, "that lack of human contact can also lead to feelings of isolation."

However, virtual worlds haven't solely created for socializing and creating virtual cities for people to stay inside. Mark Tutton from CNN wrote about their use in the corporate and office life. It has become a convenient way for employees to sit in virtual conferences with each other. This has saved traveling costs and time. With this ability to connect with each other no matter which city, state or country they're in, it has led to collaboration within the team and the spread of ideas. In these virtual worlds, employees can still "hang out, run into someone, and have ad-hoc conversations with people," as said by Kahai.

I think that technology is only going to advance from here and soon these virtual worlds will become a part of our real world. I think that a lot of younger people these days would much rather go for convenience and be technologically savvy. Even dating apps that have emerged are all about meeting people online and people hardly rely on meeting someone randomly.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html