Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

With the use of internet being more and more essential, virtual worlds are becoming more and more popular. There are many ways virtual worlds can be used. One of the most common way is to use it in a recreational way. For example, kids can play with their virtual toys in a virtual world. Webkinz lead in industry of virtual toys. They are plush animals that comes with a code that activates the online version of the toys. (Toys with a Second Life by Brian Hindo) In virtual worlds, it offers many things one cannot do in reality. For example, flight. In virtual worlds such as second life, one can travel to places with the ability of flight. This has a lot of appeal to many users because it provides a very unique experience. Virtual worlds can also be used in a professional way. One of those ways is training. Since virtual worlds mimics reality very closely, many companies can set a training program and have their new employees train on them. The military also has programs that train soldiers on how to act during a real life scenario.

There are many upsides to how virtual worlds are being used today. Using virtual worlds is a great way to meet someone. Now when it comes to the use of virtual worlds in the office, it is a lot easier to bring everyone together on a virtual conference meeting. This way of conducting a meeting offers a lot more functions than a video call. (Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life by Mark Tutton) Not only that, by conducting a virtual world meeting, it saves the employees time and money from having to travel to their office. Also, when their are less cars on the road, that is always a good thing. With the way military conducting their training in virtual world, not only are they saving tons of money, the are probably saving lives too. Instead of putting inexperienced soldiers in dangerous situations, they can simulate everything through virtual world.

Virtual worlds have their flaws as well. They create a world that might seem better than reality to some and that can result in some mental problems. One might get so attached to a virtual world, they may never want to come back to reality again. Also since their are really no rules in virtual worlds, one may do whatever he or she wishes to do. This behavior might translate into reality. Because they've done it numerous of times in their virtual worlds, they think it is fine to do it in reality.

I really believe virtual world can foster creativity very well. Since virtual worlds are so similar to reality, what you do in virtual worlds can be turned into reality. Because of the fact that virtual worlds are not real, one can always try to come up with new idea in a virtual worlds and see if it will have success. If the idea fails, no harm is really done because it was never applied in the REAL world.

I believe in the future virtual worlds will play a huge part. The future will be very similar to the movie "The Surrogate". Eventually we will have a robot that can look like anything we want it to look like and we will live our lives thru that robot. This way, we can never get injured because our actual self will be inside a machine while our robots take all the risk of everyday life. It sounds corny and unrealistic but just wait and watch.