How real is Second Life to you?
General Discussion
Great question, Tat! My sense is that SL is a game and more than a game I first came because I heard that many young people were getting into SL, and I was curious. I was very much NOT into computer games. I thought I would stay maybe a couple of hours. It has been a couple of years now. SL surprised me at many levels. I love the artistry of so many avatars who can create visual environments, matched by the cultural and social environments.Of course sometimes there is entirely too much drama but then, I think of SL as a laboratory for social development as well. Some people have never had the benefit of exposure to a lot of different children when growing up and so did not learn at a young age to relate to a variety of personalities and demands. Others have come from large families, or large class sizes, or went to boarding schools, where they learned the need to adapt. In many ways, SL seems to have this function. One cannot always have one's own way, even when one owns a SIM. SL can, therefore, be a safe place where one may learn also the art of human relationships.And try this in the court of an absolute monarch (when that absolute monarch is not YOU), and you can learn humility and adaptability very quickly.Is SL a game? Yes, but SL is also an excellent learning environment.