What is a second life and what impact does it have on our 'real life'?

Second life is an online virtual world where users interact with each other through avatars. They can also explore, meet other people, participate in activities and create and trade virtual property and services with each other. It is a prime example of Bauldrillard’s theory that we would begin to experience life in hyperreality and experience simulations rather than reality. The site currently has about a million active users proving just how popular the application has become. Meadow’s claims that shared experiences create a sense of reality could also not be more poignant in this scenario. Even though users are sitting behind a computer screen not actually dancing in a bar for example, this virtual action has become relatively ‘real’ as other people are witnessing the action and maybe even taking part themselves. Second life allows people who may not feel confident enough or who do not have the money to go out and dance in a nightclub, to experience a simulation in a virtual landscape. It may not be entirely the same experience but as research has revealed, people respond to interactive technology much more than was ever thought. Being able to personalise the avatar and live in a world where the user can be anyone they want removes previous constraints that users may have in the real world, causing the nature of second life to be very enticing.



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A story on Four Corners about Second Life showed various creators and people involved with the virtual world being interviewed alongside a small image of their avatar on screen. The interesting point that this raised was that each individual had basically kept some of their features, the ones that they liked and had improved on others, the ones that they must not have. For example one man was bald with a beard and overweight, his avatar was muscular, had hair on his head and still kept the same beard. The virtual world features maninly attractive avatars; reinforcing the consumer driven society of the first life and taking it into the second life. It is obvious that no one would chose to be ugly but is this obsession with appearance going to have a detrimental affect on the user as they will realistically never be able to look as their avatar does and force them to distance themselves from their first life more and more? 

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There is a potential for the software of Second Life to be used for positive change in todays society, in relation to online learning. A real problem with online and distance education is that there is no sense of community and students often feel isolated and disconnected from peers. This technology has the ability for students to attend a virtual lectures and tutorials and engage in discussions with one another and with their tutor. It would allow people who live in rural communities to be more connected and be able to overcome initial geographic constraints.