Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds can be used in a variety of ways: ranging from entertainment or recreational use for people with spare time to therapeutic use for individuals with social disorders. Since it's separate from reality, virtual worlds can be used to be or do anything. By using an avatar and a platform such as SecondLife, anyone can try things they felt they couldn't do in real life.Virtual worlds allow users to travel to distant places, run freely, and fly among other things. Two articles published on the New York Times (Dave Itzkoff) and CNN (Nicole Saidi) discuss the benefits and disadvantages of using virtual world technology.

According to Dave Itzkoff (NYT), users of Vles.com, a virtual world simulator of the Lower East Side of NY, can walk across and observe a virtual version of New York's Lower East Side. Although Itzkoff admits that he lives a few blocks away from many iconic Lower East Side fixtures, he chooses to explore Vles because it doesn't have  the"imperious bouncers or foul odors to contend with" that disturb him in reality. In addition to being able to explore the LES without the dangers of night time crime or the hassle, Vles users can communicate with each other and eventually meet up in person. While Vles users can listen to pre-recorded concerts recorded at the real bars/venues, they are limited to what they can hear and share with the community. According to Itzkoff, the major disadvantage of exploring the LES through Vles is the loss of the "coolness from at least a veneer of danger and inaccessibility". 

While Vles allows users to explore the Lower East Side, SecondLife acts as a complete virtual world for users to create their own avatar and worlds. In more than one case, SecondLife has been used as a literal second life for people who are limited in reality by debilitating illnesses. CNN's Nicole Saidi reported on "Naughty Auties", a "virtual resource center" on SecondLife created by a man affected by Asperger's Syndrome.  David Savill, the creator of Naughty Auties, created the location so "visitors can practice social interaction", "find information about the condition" and "create a comfort zone [for users to communicate freely]". The greatest benefit of having a virtual world such as Savill's creation, is having a space where people affected by autism can practice communicating and establish an online support group/community. The only potential downside to using SecondLife as a therapeutic tool is the uncertainty of its positive effect on users as well as a desire to stay within the virtual world (not moving onto reality).

By virtue of being represented by an avatar and taking actions that might not be possible in reality, users have an opportunity to do things "outside of the box" and express their creativity. Since virtual worlds are generally not limited by constraints like money or other resources, users can create objects and designs that replicate or even surpass their real-life counterparts. The ability to communicate with other users in real time in virtual worlds also helps fosters creativity; by being able to speak to other users and generate feedback, user-created content can become even more specialized. I personally believe virtual worlds will visually become closer to reality, and more people will become interested with the concept.  Although there is room for concern in becoming too attached to virtual worlds, improvements to virtual world technology can definitely be used to help debilitated people experience a more complete life.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/arts/television/06itzk.html?pagewanted=2
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/28/sl.autism.irpt/index.html#cnnSTCText