As technology grows and evolves, so too does the structure of cyberspace. Virtual worlds are increasingly becoming more and more like the real world. The most realistic and sophisticated of these virtual realms is Linden Lab’s Second Life. Second life is a virtual world where players are able to choose and control the things that occur. Player’s create avatars which they can modify to their liking. Second life is not like any other game before it. It differs in that players hold the control in the virtual world and it also has its very own currency known as Linden dollars. Linden dollars can be purchased and exchanged with real money according to the currency rates in the world at the time. The major attraction of second life is the idea that you are able to be whoever you want to be. You are able to construct a life that is preferable to the one you where dealt in real life and given the choice, many people would choose to live permanently in second life.
As people continue to engage in virtual reality, there is a certain amount of addiction associated with it, which is having a real affect on their day to day lives. In some cases, people are actually losing the balance between what is real and what is virtual. Jean Baudrillard poses the idea of ‘hyperreality’ which identifies that reality is being replaced by representations of reality. Additionally, people living in hyperreality are unable to distinguish what is real. Counsellors are now seeing a growing number of marriages dissolve over virtual infidelity. One wife believes that her husband's avatar's marriage to another woman's avatar is cheating; he says it isn't. He explains that it is just a game but the wife states that "when it's from six in the morning until two in the morning, that's not a hobby, that's your life”. Another example is of a couple who met on second life, divorced their partners in real life and then went on to get married in both second life and in real life.
Not only are marriages falling apart but individuals’ contributions to society are suffering as well. Some addicted second life players, although very successful in second life are just the opposite in the real world. They create beautiful avatars that are meant to represent them but in real life they are obese and do not own a nice outfit. They are sometimes even unemployed and spend more time on second life than doing anything else. An article in the guardian reported that a new mother was so addicted to raising a second life child that her real life baby died of neglect. These examples show the severely detrimental effects of this game. What makes this game so meaningful to an individual?
It is no surprise that what we think about ourselves affects the confidence with which we approach the world. What is a surprise is that this applies in the virtual world too. It seems that the qualities you acquire online — whether it is confidence or insecurity — can spill over and change your conduct in the real world, often without your awareness. A study done by Stanford University looked into the way self-concept can be affected by playing the game.
In one experiment, researchers assessed how an avatar's attractiveness affected human behaviour, both online and off. Thirty-two volunteers were randomly assigned an attractive or unattractive avatar (attractiveness was rated by undergrads in a survey beforehand) and instructed to look at them in a virtual mirror for 90 seconds. Then they were asked to interact with other avatars, controlled by the experimenters, in a classroom-like setting. Overall, subjects using good-looking avatars tended to display more confidence, friendliness and extroversion. They were happy to interact with avatar strangers easily and confidently. On the other hand, the users of ugly-duckling avatars stayed away from strangers and were nervous about creating conversation. Nick Yee replicated this study but appended a second part. An hour after their interaction on second life with their avatars of varied attractiveness, the same volunteers were told they were participating in an unrelated study about online romance. They were instructed to pick two potential dates out of nine photos in an online-dating pool. People who had used attractive avatars seemed to hang on to some of the self-assurance that came from being handsome, choosing better-looking dates than those who had homely avatars.
Overall, the second life game has become an attractive way to escape from real life. Although in small doses this may be a form of therapy, the addictive nature of the game is causing serious issues in the lives of the users and the people around them. The ability to be able to create an ideal representation of yourself is causing players to form psychological connections with their avatars. They not only cause the individuals to internalise the experiences of their avatars but these feelings are then carried over into their real world behaviour. The powerful nature of virtual worlds, such as second life, must not be treated lightly. It is important to remember to balance and discern between what is real and what is virtual, so that we do not forget to experience what the real world has to offer.
It is no surprise that what we think about ourselves affects the confidence with which we approach the world. What is a surprise is that this applies in the virtual world too. It seems that the qualities you acquire online — whether it is confidence or insecurity — can spill over and change your conduct in the real world, often without your awareness. A study done by Stanford University looked into the way self-concept can be affected by playing the game.
In one experiment, researchers assessed how an avatar's attractiveness affected human behaviour, both online and off. Thirty-two volunteers were randomly assigned an attractive or unattractive avatar (attractiveness was rated by undergrads in a survey beforehand) and instructed to look at them in a virtual mirror for 90 seconds. Then they were asked to interact with other avatars, controlled by the experimenters, in a classroom-like setting. Overall, subjects using good-looking avatars tended to display more confidence, friendliness and extroversion. They were happy to interact with avatar strangers easily and confidently. On the other hand, the users of ugly-duckling avatars stayed away from strangers and were nervous about creating conversation. Nick Yee replicated this study but appended a second part. An hour after their interaction on second life with their avatars of varied attractiveness, the same volunteers were told they were participating in an unrelated study about online romance. They were instructed to pick two potential dates out of nine photos in an online-dating pool. People who had used attractive avatars seemed to hang on to some of the self-assurance that came from being handsome, choosing better-looking dates than those who had homely avatars.
Overall, the second life game has become an attractive way to escape from real life. Although in small doses this may be a form of therapy, the addictive nature of the game is causing serious issues in the lives of the users and the people around them. The ability to be able to create an ideal representation of yourself is causing players to form psychological connections with their avatars. They not only cause the individuals to internalise the experiences of their avatars but these feelings are then carried over into their real world behaviour. The powerful nature of virtual worlds, such as second life, must not be treated lightly. It is important to remember to balance and discern between what is real and what is virtual, so that we do not forget to experience what the real world has to offer.
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