Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual reality can be used for a variety of purposes, from the mundane to the profound. Workers can telecommute across the globe from the comfort of their living rooms or offices, as we saw in the article "Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life." People from around the world can congregate in virtual spaces, buy digital goods, attend live-streamed events, work, play, and learn. Virtual worlds have become so realistic and so expansive that one can do nearly anything in Virtual Reality, providing that it doesn't require a physical body.

Virtual goods can be bought and sold in virtual worlds, one can develop a persona (or several) across platforms, and have a chance to be a different version of themselves. Often, this self is empowering, and allows the user to grow as an individual, as is the case with soldiers who use virtual worlds to heal from war-related trauma and anguish. (After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?) However, there is a downside - people can be less authentic when they hide behind a screen, and they are free to do and say whatever they please, no matter the cost or consequences. Predators can prey on children, pretending to be younger than they truly are for nefarious purposes. Other cyber-criminals can lurk, preying on vulnerable populations, who they might hack or otherwise harm by installing malware, viruses, or tracking software to the devices of other players. Trolls can proliferate, and make virtual worlds uncomfortable for people who use them as a diversion or a safe haven.

Additionally, companies invest large amounts of money to make virtual worlds addictive, assembling teams of their best and brightest to keep people playing, even while they should be doing other things (such as working, spending time with their family, or even waiting for the red light to change to green).

However, virtual worlds can foster creativity. They can enable children to learn and grow with others their age, allow their teachers to create innovative and fun assignments for them to complete, and can be used in classrooms from nursery school to college to create a fun, dynamic learning environment. They can help people with autism and other neurodivergent individuals gain social skills they can apply to the real world, facilitating communication with loved ones and strangers alike.

Virtual worlds have a variety of pros and cons, all of which must be carefully weighed. Children should be monitored when online, either by a parent, guardian, or instructor, and everyone should be wary of trolls, cyber-criminals, and other nefarious types who enjoy or profit from harming others. However, I strongly believe that despite this, virtual worlds do more good than harm, and that they are a valuable educational tool, as well as being an important social gathering point and all-around fun place to be.

Cited:

Mehta, Diane. “After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 1 May 2013, www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/.

Tutton, Mark. “Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life.” CNN, Cable News Network, 9 Nov. 2009, www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/05/second.life.virtual.collaboration/.