Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds are something that may become very popular in the future. It is a more technologically advanced concept of life, but it has its pros and cons. Virtual worlds or virtual reality can be of anything depending on their creators. It can simulate a real place like New York, Tokyo, Malaysia, and so on. It can also simulate experiences like riding roller coasters, tours, driving, and more. The pros that come with virtual worlds is that people can explore various different settings in the virtual worlds, alternative forms of education, and different form of socializing with others. The user of virtual worlds has the option of selecting where they want to be. The different forms of education can range from 3D models for science lab/experiments, military training, and virtual classroom setting. According to the article, "I've Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life," by Dave Itzkoff, he speaks about his experiences with virtual world socializing. He visited the virtual Lower East Side and was able to meet other explorers. "One night I chatted with a young woman in oversized granny-glasses who called herself Slim Morrison; we began by commiserating over our lack of New Year's Eve plans, and I ended up telling her about the time I got violently ill right before a Wilco concert, a strangely intimate confession to offer someone I'd just met five minutes earlier." This interaction shows how easy it is for people to socialize on a virtual platform versus real life. From my experiences, New Yorkers tend to avoid talking to each other on the streets. Everyone minds their own business and carries on their own day. Virtual worlds help bring down the barrier that stops people from talking to each other in real life. Users are placed into an avatar that has complete anonymity and are free to do whatever they want. The cons of virtual worlds are the limited technology available, functionality issues, facing reality, and high costs. Since the implementation of virtual worlds is relatively new, there may be technical issues. Prices for these platforms tend to fall in the higher-end. People also might develop an addiction to the virtual world which can lead to distorted views of reality. The article "Virtual world may impact real-world behaviour" mentions a study that researchers conducted on undergraduates who were placed in the virtual worlds. "The researchers hypothesize that the arousal, the degree to which participants are 'keyed into' the game, might be an important factor driving the behavioral effects they observed." The different roles that the undergraduates played have affected their behaviors in real life. I believe that in the future, virtual worlds will imitate the real world almost perfectly. Artists/creators will be able to add fine details to the virtual worlds that will make users believe that it is the real deal. Virtual worlds will be available to many people and become much cheaper. It will be widely implemented in workplaces, classrooms, entertainment centers, and even at home.