“There are so many things that we would like to do in real everyday life, but can’t because of limitations.” – Philip Rosendale, creator of Second Life
Disruptive technologies are examples of emerging technologies that develop spontaneously and replace current technologies. These new technologies are often creative and exciting. They involve creators who take chances and do not think like the norm. In his video, Rosendale described himself as a person who has these interests. The concept of Second Life lives up to the definition of disruptive technologies as well. It is a cyber life that allows people to assume a new and different life that they create and control via the web. This concept takes people’s thoughts and ideals above and beyond normal perspectives of life. The limitations of the imagination are challenged and people begin to act on their perspectives.
One attraction to Second Life, is that people need a form of escape. If you look at the different ways people try to escape the realities of their lives, they can be negative escapes like drinking and drug abuse or they can be positive like exercise, meditation or vacationing. In the world of Second Life, there is no need for these things to be “forms of escape”, but simply parts of life, if chosen to be so.
Another attraction to a virtual life is the control that someone can have over their own life. Through creativity and imagination, a Second Life user can enter a world that they have dreamed of, but in reality are too afraid to venture.
In the Rosendale video, he spoke of the game “Dungeons and Dragons” as being a game that he played but needed more from. This could be one innovation that Second Life has replaced, however given the fact that it is a disruptive technology, I don’t believe that it has truly replaced any one technology. Another possible technology would be story writing: fiction, fantasy and science fiction for example. Here Second Life is a visual replacement. I would venture that like there are other types of virtual worlds in existence now, Second Life will be replaced quite soon, in the next 2-5 years, due to its popularity and the need to grow bigger and better.
Social benefits
A final example of an attraction to Second Life is that the users can also start again or do something again. Real life does not allow one to relive an event from the past and change it. In a virtual world one can do this. This could be a positive way that allows people to reflect on their actions and thus think about how they will interact with others in the future.
In the field of World Language Education, virtual worlds open up many possibilities for exploring countries and cultures. People can get a visual and auditory glimpse of what life is like. They could even get a chance to try out their new language skills and make mistakes without feeling intimidated by making mistakes with real people. San Francisco-based Linden Labs (which runs SL) leading the pack. Linden says more than 100 virtual islands have been bought within its world for education purposes. (Nuthall, 2008) All areas of education will benefit from the possiblities of virtual life.
My personal views of Second Life? I don’t have a lot of interest in virtual worlds. I can see the advantages, which I pointed out, but I have a fear that people will not use this responsibly and it will open the doors to many negative experiences. I can only hope that this won’t be true.
Suggested Link: www.simteach.com
Nuthall, K. (2008, January 20). US: A disruptive technology arrives. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from University World News: www.universityworldnews.com/article.phy?story=2008117162121373&mode=print
Rosedale, P. (2008). Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.
Thornburg, D. D. (2009). Disruptive technologies. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4199715&Survey=1&47=5797856&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1
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Regina,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your take on the advantages a virtual world sites such as Second Life. In particular, I am intrigued (and a little disturbed) by the possibilities for escapism. A little respite from myself might be entertaining and relieving, but I can imagine that some might retreat into the virtual world and adopt the alter ego on a more permanent basis. Humorously, I keep picturing those people that carry around a ventriloquist dummy for the purpose of giving themselves an outlet to channel their voice. This is the point where imagination intersects with reality and the line becomes gray and fuzzy. In a virtual world, who is to say what is real? Does it matter?
Regina,
ReplyDeleteGreat point. I love the way you state that individuals have a chance to escape and be free outside of their imagination. It is one thing to think on a situation, but having the opportunity to create and live that performance is priceless. No one is harmed, unlimited boundaries, and having the chance of bringing out that inner you.
I will admit I have spent time in Second Life and understand how easy it is to get lost being involved. When I was researching the topic, I tried to find out the educational benefits. There are some benefits, but not enough research to really evaluate the effectiveness and how it addresses a variety of learning styles. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts.
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