inside the virtual world

Technology, these days, has become such a huge influence on our society due to its constant change and power.  Think of when you were a child and the sort of technology you had in those days.  Some may think of the television going from black and white to color, or the fact that cell phones used to be the size and were as heavy as bricks!  Nonetheless, today’s society has gone way beyond those previous “advancements.”  Today, we notice great use of technology anywhere and everywhere!  However, one of the more peculiar, yet intriguing elements of technological advancement can be seen through throughout the virtual world. 
So, what exactly is a virtual world?  This question serves many answers and we can begin with one very familiar subject – the Internet.  Through the Internet we continue to find ways of connecting with others, researching, and even watching videos.  For most people, websites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, YouTube, and so on, seems to be the choice of online networking, but what about virtual worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft?  Unfortunately, our society constructed the idea that those who use virtual “fantasy” worlds such as Second Life and World of Warcraft are geeks, or nerds.
In an online documentary called Digital Nation from PBS Frontline, we become familiar with the virtual worlds and how people have used it to their advantage at school, in therapy and even in workplaces!  Additionally, we can see that Facebook, Twitter, and such, have nothing on the far advanced virtual worlds.  Second Life is a free 3D virtual world where users can socialize, connect and create using free voice and text chat.  In the Frontline video, we learn that Second Life acts as an escape for people who dream of things that they can certainly make happen.  In Second Life, you can shop, own, build and sustain as you would in reality, create an avatar to look however you want, and the best part is that you can float around, pretty cool huh?  Another amazing aspect of Second Life is that people in the workplace have created their very own avatars and have used it for business meetings and networking.  Ironically, more business people own avatars than you would think.  The documentary’s host went to an IBM office in Westchester, NY that was completely empty.  Due to Second Life’s free and simple access, users can work from home and still interact and get their business done through the virtual world.  Who would have thought twenty years ago that this would happen?  But wait, it gets better.  Online activities between virtual world users have even built up romantic relationships and friendships.  For instance, World of Warcraft is considered a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) with more than 11.5 million monthly subscribers from all around the world.  These users can interact through text and chat, where players control a character avatar within a game world in third or first-person view, exploring the landscape, fighting various monsters, completing quests, and interacting with non-player characters or other players.  World of Warcraft users are fully committed to the fantasy world and deserve to interact physically, therefore, conventions are made in which people who are used to speaking through a computer can actually meet in person.  Users who go to these conventions get very creative and can be seen dressed up as certain characters or made up ones.  Overall, users get to enjoy the game, interact with other players, meet new people and just simply have fun!
Between Second Life, World of Warcraft and everything in between, many people on the “outside” judge these users and consider them nerds.  What they don’t realize is that those who are involved in the virtual worlds and online interaction have liberated the term nerd or geek and have instead taken it with pride and ease.  Ryan Mead, a good friend of mine is actually considered a pro-gamer and has gotten paid from time to time to compete in various competitions.  When asked about what it’s like to be called a nerd at times, Ryan jokingly responded, “If being a nerd means having good grades, talking in gamer lingo and playing video games all day long, then hey, I’ll take it.  Back in the eighties and nineties, people who wore glasses and read comic books were considered nerds, but that was because of movies and such.  These days, people walk around calling themselves geeks, nerds, and it really isn’t as big of a deal anymore, and I thank technology for that.”
Technology has opened doors for many, and it’s nice to know that people really do use it as an escape.  What are your thoughts on gamer addiction?  Does it exist?  “Listen, people can get addicted to almost anything, and yes, gamer addiction does exist.  If you put aside more time to play games instead of eating, sleeping, studying, etc., consider yourself addicted.  I’m not far away from it only because I’ve recognized my limits mostly for work and school, otherwise I love video games and I will till the day I die.  Everyone has different hobbies, and mine is playing and competing in virtual games and on various game consoles (XBOX, Playstation, etc).  Put it this way, I’m drug and alcohol free and always have been, so instead of being addicted to those bad habits, I stick with video games and stuff.  My mom is actually very proud.”
Before you mentioned gamer lingo, tell me more about this lingo and what are some examples?  “The lingo I was speaking of leans more towards fighting games like Street Fighter, Super Smash Brothers, or walk through violent games like Grand Theft Auto.  But with MMORPG games like World of Warcraft where people talk in chatrooms, it’s all about briefness, so we use a short-hand type of slang.  The word “anyone” becomes “nel,” thank you becomes “ty,” character becomes “char” and there are so many others.  Some popular words, though, would be stuff like “twinked” or when a character’s abilities increase in some sort of way, or “perches,” objects that players can get onto but cannot be accessed by monsters.  I can go on for days, but it’s all pretty interesting especially at LAN parties where a large group of people will meet to play an online game.
Overall, there are many obvious differences between living in the “real” world compared to a virtual world.  Technology, nowadays, is becoming more and more sophisticated and extremely powerful, and can even be used for health and healing.  A virtual world was created for emotionally wounded soldiers going through therapy.  Although the sound of it seems like it wouldn’t do much help, the Middle Eastern, war-like world was created for soldiers to move forward from their fears through memory sense.  The doctor will put each soldier through different situations depending on their fears or concerns and actually make the soldier experience rattling, shaking, holding of a weapon and so on which then reassures the solider that they are unharmed and it was all just a simulation.  Afterwards, the soldier can go home, have dinner with his family and be thankful for living.  This type of simulation therapy allows the psychological aspect of war seem less major for those who no longer are involved in combat yet still have the traits of shell shock.
Technology has also revolutionized education.  Virtual education, e-learning, or distance education is being put into action a lot more in today’s society.  Virtual universities, colleges, classes, tutors, mentors and so much more come to life to inhabit a new virtual space education, and it is growing more and more competitive.  Virtual education has so much to offer.  At Marist College, a great deal of professor’s use i-Learn, a scholarly website in which all of your course assignments from each class can be accessed with just a click of the mouse.  Through i-Learn users have access to grades, missed assignments, upcoming assignments, etc.  This is extremely helpful for students with online courses, or absences.  On Digital Nation: A Virtual Frontier, some schools ranging from elementary to high school feel that virtual games enhance learning, especially for those who don’t really love the idea of school.  I say, whatever works!  If an institution has a higher rate of passing a student whose work is based around technology and the virtual world, than why not?  This could be the movement for schools whose passing rates are extremely low and cater to families that are less fortunate and cannot provide upgraded computers and programs.   
All in all, the virtual worlds of today’s society have completely done a 360, and have offered a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages and cultures.  While it continues to constantly evolve and grow, we see that virtual worlds have the remarkable power of alternate realities.  Despite revolutionary advances, technology simply remains a tool. Potentially powerful and stimulating, the computer is only an inert object that can never be a substitute for the personal touch of the classroom teacher, a friend, a family member, a manager, or even an ordinary person.  But it’s how a person implements a computer in their everyday lives which becomes critical.  Without proper integration of computers into the workplace, school curriculum, family activities and national pursuit, the benefits of technology to foster one's learning cannot be fully achieved, regardless of the creative potential of any software used.  How we balance our lives with these technologies and with real people around is essential, and we must not allow them to take over human lives.