Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are usually technological based online communities designed and shared by users. It is a custom-built, simulated world where users interact text-based or through a headset. The massively multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg) Minecraft is a virtual world; a space for kids to express their imagination and connect with other users that also want to create things in a virtual world (Mehta, 2013). In other words, a virtual world is an environment that allows fantasies, dreams and imaginations to come true where it is impossible to exist in reality.

An advantage of a virtual world is that it encourages strategic and creative thinking that can help in reality. Some users join virtual worlds not just to play the game, but to socialize and interact with other users. Not all virtual worlds are created for entertainment. In fact, some virtual worlds are created for educational purposes. A great example is the U.S. military using virtual worlds to their advantages. They can create training simulations that soldiers would face on a daily basis in a battleground. Another advantage is that a virtual world allows imaginations to run wild, where you can play as your favorite hero with special abilities. We are able to control and perform impossible activities in a virtual world when in reality, we have physical limitations.  It allows us to control our virtual fate by making choices with consequences.

A disadvantage of a virtual world is that a training simulation is limited to how it was designed. In other words, a training simulation cannot fully imitate a real world environment where there are more consequences and scenarios. In terms of MMORPGs, users can become emotionally attached to a virtual world where they escape the real world. This addiction becomes time consuming to the point where it becomes potentially harmful to their health. It becomes more challenging for them to socialize in the real world due to lack of real communication. Virtual worlds such as Second Life are targeting the business market to present an innovative way of bringing employees together for meets and conferences remotely (Tutton, 2009). A disadvantage of virtual worlds used as platforms for conferences is that virtual teams becomes passive and less engaged in conversations than if they were in a real workplace environment. The virtual world becomes a barrier to effectively communicate.

I believe the future of virtual worlds will look like the one portrayed in the movie Surrogates, where humans live in isolation. Humans are plugged into machines to psychologically control robots to interact with other controlled robots. We can see a limited version of this in reality where the majority of people spend most of their time communicating heavily through social networking websites.

Works Cited 

Mehta, D. (2013, April 30). After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot? Retrieved March 24, 2015.

Tutton, M. (2009, November 9). Going to the virtual office in Second Life. Retrieved March 24, 2015.