Second Life, Second World

Imagine a game that is limitless. With no true objective, as compared to most online games, I was quickly swept away in the vastness that is Second Life. Anything from night clubs hosting “naked hour” to virtual employment centers are readily available. As a new-comer, I was overwhelmed with the infinite number of possibilities. Do I join a group, meet new people, buy a house, change my appearance, attend a concert, build an island…? As I let all of these options wash over me, I realized that there is an undeniable appeal to this world. With approximately 13 million users (which prefer to be called “residents”), Second Life provides a space of perfection. Everything, from the tone of your skin to the people you associate with, is a product of personal selection. The existing complexities of the game allow for a detailed manipulation of a virtual world. The medium is therefore inseparable from its audience. In essence, the audience becomes the creator of his or her own virtual world.

The medium of Second Life offers many features which allow residents to create a new virtual identity of their own choosing. But why would someone want to create another identity? Identity, in itself, is a complicated concept. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society attempts to define the word as “the autobiographical self [that] has tended to become organized around a range of other more cultural attributes, such as character, personality, experience, social position, or lifestyle” (172). More recently, however, identity is emphasized as the personal assignment of ourselves into groups using the cultural qualities listed above. When the attempt to locate one’s place in the world fails, the result is a diasporic experience. This occurrence “is often described negatively in terms of exile, isolation, and loss” (New Keywords, 82). Perhaps the desire to create a “second life” is the result of dissatisfaction with one’s real world identity. In other words, when someone feels as though they are some how secluded, they turn to the world of Second Life to create another persona to feel accepted. The creative power is not only held by the audience, but permitted by the media thereby effectively combining the two. Because this medium offers a multitude of features which allow residents to manipulate their virtual life, Second Life becomes a place to revise real life inadequacies.

Recently MTV aired a special about the internet’s effect on our lives, entitled “I Live Another Life On The Web.” For one young girl named Amy, real life becomes too much to handle. Her dream is to become a famous musician; however, she is stunted by her disabling stage-fright. In order to cope, she turns to Second Life and creates the alternate identity, Keiko. In this virtual world, she says that her fears dissolve, and she is able to play live concerts with ease (inside of the game). In real life Amy is hindered by her stage-fright, but in Second Life she has created a new identity that shines on stage. This situation accurately exemplifies how this game is enabling those who are frustrated with their real life identities to happily live out life in a self-fulfilling, virtual environment.

But what happens when a resident becomes so involved in their Second Life identity that he/she accepts the virtual as reality?

Even though the intention of Second Life is innocent enough, its creation has effectively confused the boundary of what is “real” and what is “virtual.” Something that is real is defined by Wikipedia as “most often refer[ing] to reality, the state of things as they actually exist.” Virtual, on the other hand, is defined by Wiktionary as being “in effect or essence, if not in fact or reality; imitated.” However, for some, these words coincide. The ability to explore, move about, and build a world, in essence, strips the virtual aspect from Second Life and places it within the realm of reality. The very appeal of this game is the simple fact that it is not passive, but rather proactive. Even though this game has a few fantastical features, such as the ability to fly, its reflection of reality is very accurate. Virtual limits are tested with the newfound concept of “virtual property”. Linden Lab allows all of its residents to retain full ownership of their virtual creations: anything from stores to gestures. These property rights have therefore created a thriving economy. Profits in the game are real. Even well-known companies in the real world are attempting to break ground in Second Life by setting up advertisement campaigns. Stealing in the game is punishable by law inside and out of this virtual world. Along with a functioning judicial system, there are rules that are enforced with varying degrees in each virtual land. Because Second Life effectively simulates the real world, it is easy to get lost within it. The following cartoon parodies the allure of Second Life.

The idea behind this cartoon is eerily accurate. A real life example of this was recently on the news. CBS reported that a woman named Kimberly Jernigan, whose relationship recently ended in Second Life, attempted to kidnap her former virtual boyfriend. She was ultimately charged with attempted kidnapping, burglary, and aggravated menacing. Oddly enough, along with this story, a picture of Jernigan is provided. There seems to be a very particular reason that this photo is added. When I first came across this article, I immediately noticed this and a series of additional pictures depicting celebrities below the one of Jernigan. They were under the title “Related Slideshows.” Initially, I did not think anything of them. But, as I read the news article, I became more aware of this women’s attachment to her “second life.” I began thinking: how are the stories of celebrities related to this one at all? I concluded that, the celebrity images serve as a severe juxtaposition between what is commonly accepted (i.e. beauty, fame, ect.), and this women. Jernigan’s appearance helps the reader of this story understand that she may be drawn to the virtual world of Second Life due to her physical detachment from mainstream society. Confusion between one’s first life and second life is not necessarily the problem at hand; it is more that some have begun to accept Second Life as their reality.

On one hand, Second Life provides an escape from experiencing inadequacies in real life. On the other, the game can distort the long standing relationship between real and virtual. When interviewed (inside of the game) many people stated that they enjoy their “second life” more that their real life. Ultimately, this game can either become part of a person’s reality through the creation of a virtual extension, or the only thing they consider to be real. The medium of Second Life presents an unstable balance between the real and virtual, and it is up to the resident to choose between the two.