Second Life is a virtual world, and it’s pretty well explained in the following video:
Now, like a travel brochure, Second Life isn’t quite as nice looking in total as the video shows – there are reams of casinos, shacks and endless suburbia. There’s also orgies, strippers and pole dancers. Yes, some big businesses have set up shop in the game and some big name artists have started doing gigs (Ben Folds and Suzanne Vega to name two). But it is going to change the world?
I think there’s a more than 50% chance it actually will. And there are lots of things to like about the change but also a slew of concerns. Addiction is one of the obvious concerns, addiction treatment potentially one of the greatest goods. There is probably a cohort of people addicted to the game already and their real life may be suffering. On the other hand – could a virtual world make it easier for real life addictions to be addressed in the most non-threatening way ever? An example: you are a heavy cannabis user and you’ve come to the realisation you need some help. You live in a small town where seeking help will stand out in a big way. Log on to Second Life, find a counsellor and get the ball rolling with no-one ever knowing. Of course, there’s issues around confirming the comptency of the ocunsellor you’re dealing with, but the potential is there. And I think Linden Labs themselves seem really switched on in their approach to potential issues.
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