Second Life: Collaborative and Distance Communication Platforms and Tools

Are you a 5’2” overweight, unattractive man? Don’t worry. Not all hope if lost for your romantic life. In Second Life you can be whatever you would like. If you want to be a 5’9” busty blonde, you can be. If you would like to be a 7-foot-tall squirrel, you can be that too.

Is your social-life sub-par? It doesn’t have to be. You can roam around the Second Life 3D world with all your virtual buddies.

 

According to Second Life’s CEO, over 1 million people login to live a Second Life each month. 

Second Life is such an odd thing. And yet I can totally understand why it is so addicting. All of the things that are out of reach for you in your regular life are within reach in Second Life. And if your character isn’t meeting your expectations, you can start over with a new one. Things that people could never afford in real life are much more affordable in Second Life. Their website says, “Dress up and design a new 3D you. There are thousands of designer items to explore in our Marketplace where the selection is as endless as your imagination.” I can’t imagine why people would spend money on fake clothing, but hey whatever suits their fancy. 

Many things that are culturally unacceptable in the real world are a regular part of life in Second Life. There are sex clubs where you can pursue all of your sexual drives and risky behavior like drug dealing doesn’t serve any real consequences.

People have a complete other world in Second Life. You can get married, have a job, and even attend concerts. Usher did a live streaming concert in Second Life. 

But is life so miserable that we must act ours out through an avatar? Personally, I don’t think so.