Virtual realities have long been a destination for people tired of the real world; they offer a place to relax, socialize, and have fun. And because these "worlds" have become—through advancements in game design—just as stimulating as the physical one around us, people are drawn in and many loose touch with reality. With more than 20 million people worldwide already actively participating in these augmented realities and little reason for users to resist these games' addictive nature, there is no doubt in my mind that today's population of 20 million active virtual reality users could easily increase to 30 or even 50 million within the next decade. To Edward Castronova, this is only the beginning of the "exodus to the virtual world."
In his book, Castronova explains that this emigration from the physical world will happen quickly and in the near future (perhaps within the next few decades). Along with some of my classmates, I disagree with Castronova's assertion...at least with part of it. While I do believe that more and more people will be drawn into these hyper-real realities, increasing the population of active users as mentioned above, I don't believe that it will turn into a mass exodus...at least not within our generation.
The current generation (The Millennials) is almost entirely preoccupied with social networking. "Facebookers" as we are sometimes called, we would rather use virtual realities to connect with old friends from back home, not to escape the confines of daily life. So instead of being active users, we may participate maybe once or twice a week, giving us no reason to participate in the exodus.
In his book, Castronova explains that this emigration from the physical world will happen quickly and in the near future (perhaps within the next few decades). Along with some of my classmates, I disagree with Castronova's assertion...at least with part of it. While I do believe that more and more people will be drawn into these hyper-real realities, increasing the population of active users as mentioned above, I don't believe that it will turn into a mass exodus...at least not within our generation.
The current generation (The Millennials) is almost entirely preoccupied with social networking. "Facebookers" as we are sometimes called, we would rather use virtual realities to connect with old friends from back home, not to escape the confines of daily life. So instead of being active users, we may participate maybe once or twice a week, giving us no reason to participate in the exodus.
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| Learning to use a computer at an early age |
The generation behind us, however, is a whole 'nother story. Growing up in a time where most households have around three to four computers and a video game console, immersion in technology starts from the get-go. While the millennials grew up just as the personal computer was becoming a popular commodity, there is no question that this new generation will be even more tech savvy than us. I believe that they will be the ones, if any, to spawn the exodus.
The exodus marks a change in reality, not just for those who make the migration, but for the rest of us who are left behind as well. We will see fewer face-to-face conversations as communication through our computers becomes more prevalent, and the strength of friendships and familial ties will surely weaken. Unfortunately, it is almost certain that this migration will occur. Hopefully, however, it does not do so within our lifetime.
Works Cited
- Castronova, Edward. Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun Is Changing Reality. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Print.
- Kate. Second Life. Digital image. Fishbowl LA. WebMediaBrands, 30 Oct. 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://tinyurl.com/5szl7q9>.
- Vikne, Ernst. Using Linda's MacBook. Digital image. Flickr. Yahoo!, 20 Dec. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://tinyurl.com/6co36bk>.
Good assessment of why your generation has not taken to virtual worlds. I do worry about a generation that might do so, beyond casual or educational use.
ReplyDeleteBe careful of confusing "augmented" reality with virtual worlds. Google Earth is an augmented reality application. So is a GPS unit. If you stay focused on the world of "meat" and use an app to assist you do something (find an address, get a restaurant review on the fly, etc.) you are using a form of augmented reality.
Virtual worlds are immersive, on the other hand. It's a world in and of itself. That's the case for many games and non-game worlds such as Second Life.
One grammar note: "loose" and "lose" are both commonly confused words as well as Pet-Peeves on my list (and on other profs' lists as well). Prove Birkerts wrong and know the difference.