Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Upon its inception, virtual worlds were created with entertainment in mind. Its users could enter the virtual reality with their personal characters and indulge in games or social networking. However, in recent days, the application of virtual worlds have become far more expansive - virtual worlds are now touching the most crucial aspects of urban life. According to NY Times' "In Room 100, It’s Sid and Nancy All Over Again," virtual world is used as a medium to express remembrance to a Hotel beloved by many artists, and according to Diane Mehta's "After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?" virtual worlds are now being used as an extension of business meetings. Of course, there are many pros to such application to virtual worlds, an example of which is fostering creativity, but there are definite cons that cannot be overlooked. However realistic virtual worlds may be, it still is not, and will never be, a true social experience - there is power in speaking face-to-face, and if our society as a whole move towards exclusive utilization of virtual worlds, the lack of in-person meetings lead to misunderstandings and inefficient communication. However, I truly believe that in the near future, there will be greater integration of virtual worlds in our livelihood. As virtual worlds allow its users to bring their imagination into existence (to a certain extent), it will be integrated into education and business meetings that require creativity. Furthermore, I believe there will be a generation whose main form of communication will be through personal avatars in virtual worlds - with many finding face-to-face interactions strange and awkward.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/nyregion/thecity/03virt.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/#3eae5bd735a4

Comments

  1. Nicholas YomMarch 25, 2020 at 9:58 PM

    I agree with your idea that people in the future will mainly communicate through online avatars. We already see face-to-face interactions diminishing as people find it bothersome.

    ReplyDelete

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