Social Networking: Reference to Part I

November 21st, 2008 by Susan

Ah, an example. In Part I I stated:

"Nowadays, we can do this so much more easily by internet connections
and in particular, online gaming, creating a persona that is not
inhibited by our own physical limitations, open to whatever our minds
can conceive. Think World of Warcraft, Second Life
where you don't have to be sixty years old, or be overweight or covered
in acne, or a timid mouse that folks push around in reality."

In reading through Brendan's posting on his experience in Second Life, this catches my eye:

"Again I have this Lola complex where your not entirely sure if you’re
even dancing with a female on the other end. I could be dancing with a
45 year old Gacey-like clown over in Wisconsin. No thankyou, even a
virtual avatar has its standards."

Brendan found what he was looking for–though out of curiosity rather than desire–and entered a hypersexed cyber cafe. He is studying this virtual world, learning about the way it works and maybe, maybe getting some idea of the real players behind their avatars. He is correct in thinking that Second Life is pure escapism–the name of the game surely tells us that clearly enough. But can you find peace and happiness in such a world or is it more peopled by the voyeuristic or sadistic and seedy-sided part of human nature? What is the ratio of good guys to bad guys in the virtual world as well as the players who make it up?

I do wonder about the comparison of good and evil in something like Second Life to the real world; are we just as bad except we don't have the telltale outfit to wear?

Man's nature, I believe, is based on survival and his instincts are driven by this "after me comes you" attitude. Luckily in the real world most of us can get by without resorting to our baser natures. We don't punch the idiot who cuts us off in line but fume silently or may try making a comment that won't get us punched in the nose instead. But in Second Life, we can act on our instincts. Is this good? Is it a way to vent harmlessly? Or is it reviving those feelings long controlled through learned response and will these work their way into our real world behavior.

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