Real Vs. Virtual

In the past week, we have seen several examples of people and their avatars. While several of these people are simply playing for fun, and to make friends, there is an alarming number of people who log on to escape their own lives, or who allow the game to take over it. Examples include Lui Da, the teenager who works 12 hours a day in a game farm but then plays even more as soon as he gets off of work. Lucas Shaw admits that the game has taken over his life and destroyed his grades, his social life, and his health. And in the trailer for Second Skin, one can clearly hear one of the players say, “Forget dinner, let’s just do this.” This dedication to a virtual world is not healthy.

Humans must live in the real world. We have bodies here that must be fed, watered, and have exercise, or else they perish. And along with the human body goes the force behind an avatar. Since we must live in this physical world, it behooves humans to develop the skills necessary to live in it, which may not be possible within a game. Many gamers admit to having low social skills, which may or may not be a draw to online gaming, but games apparently do little to help one socialize. Many gamers trade physical friends for virtual friends, but people must interact with other physical people, so it is important to develop real-world social skills. And while some people make money playing and developing games, many players are just playing for fun, and not learning any job skills. Testimonies from hardcore gamers indicate that at times, they step away from the games, and find that chunks of their life are gone, with nothing but an “imaginary” life to show for it. Therefore, while online games may be fulfilling in moderation, humans must give themselves time to live in the physical world.