Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds’ uses have been evolving over the past decade. These virtual worlds were made popular by games such as World of Warcraft or the Simms. However, the game aspect has slowly been removed from these virtual worlds—e.g. Second Life and Enterprise. The modern virtual worlds can be used for a variety of things, such as company meetings, viewing live (real world) concerts and even to partake in congressional hearings. There is even a place for real world people with autism and aspergers syndrome (the disease Tom Hank’s character, Forest Gump, suffered from) can go and “practice social interaction and find information about the[ir] condition. The graphical representations of real people create a ‘comfort zone’ that can coax users out of their shells and get them communicating with others.”

Virtual worlds allow people to network and interact with one another globally, without having to leave the comfort of their own home/office. They might even be able to do things they are not able to do in the real world. However, this might not be such a great thing.

Virtual worlds have the potential to remove people from their, normal, everyday interactions; people can, and have, become obsessed with their virtual lives, going as far as not wanting to leave their home for days at a time (I personally know people who have done this). An obsession like that can affect their real world relationships and networks. Real world relationships and networks are probably more important (i.e. making money, food, procreation, conversation, physical interaction, etc…) than staring at a computer and watching a digital version of yourself do it. Still, it isn’t everyone who is obsessed to the point of not wanting to leave their home (to play on Second Life or Warcraft).

Virtual worlds have the potential to make life more convenient, and people are constantly thinking up creative new ways to improve on these virtual worlds. I mean, going into a virtual bar to watch a real world concert (being streamed live into the virtual bar) is pretty creative if you ask me.

Most likely, more and more features will be added to virtual worlds; perhaps one day I will no long have to physically stand on line at the DMV, instead, I will be able to have my digital self wait online for me. The rate at which these virtual worlds are evolving, that might not be such an unlikely scenario in the near future.