Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

 

            A virtual world is a concept that has become extremely popular over the years. Due to an increase in technology, the virtual world is continuing to grow. This virtual world gives people a chance to escape reality and create an online community. It also gives people a chance to express themselves in ways they might feel uncomfortable doing in real life.

I personally was unfamiliar with the concept of a virtual world before this topic came up. After reading a New York Times article entitled “I’ve Been in that Club, Just Not in Real Life” written by Dave Itzkoff I got a better idea of what this virtual world was all about. In this article he talks about a site called VLES, which stands for virtual lower east side. This site allows you to create an avatar and explore a 3-D virtual lower east side. I find this concept to be very interesting because it gives you a chance to explore a part of the city from your living room. It also gives you a chance to link up with other people and share your interests such as music or movies.

            In my opinion the idea of a virtual world contains positives and negatives. On one hand, the idea of being able to explore a virtual world and interact with people online is truly amazing. It gives people who sometimes might feel uncomfortable going out and exploring the world, a chance to do so. However it feeds into a problem that this generation is having. And that’s basic interaction and conversation in the real world. Today’s world is all about texting, email, Face book, and twitter. People are finding it difficult to make phone calls and talk to people face to face. When it’s time for young people to go into the real world and get a job, they are finding it very difficult. So even though the idea of a virtual world is very interesting, I feel it is another way that our society is being affected by technology.

 Citation:

---http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html?pagewanted=all

---No Budget, No Boundaries: It's the Real you by Ruth La Ferla, The New York Times, Oct 22 2009 p. E1