Second Life When One Isn't Enough - Essay Example

Second Life: When One Isn’t Enough! of the of the Concerned February 16, Second Life: When One Isn’t Enough! 1. Within each human being there is an inborn urge to defy rules and constraints. Some of these rules are imposed by the society and culture in which one is born. These rules include social norms, dominant ethics and the law. Then there are some constraints that exist naturally and are the outcome of natural laws like the law of gravity, law of inertia, etc. Luckily, most of the humans do tend to acknowledge these social and natural rules and restrictions and behave accordingly so that the things work as per some system, without causing harm to anybody.

The one essential reason for the popularity of Second Life is that it offers virtual, three dimensional platforms where the residents can challenge and break rules, without the fear of any dire consequences or the apprehension of causing harm to oneself or somebody else. Moreover, the basic landscape of Second Life is same as that of the real world. The only difference is that the residents here can alter and bend their ambience and lifestyle, as per their choice and mood. 2. Some people are very right in believing that Second Life is not a game but a real life experience.

One, as already said, the predominant landscape and aspirations in Second Life are somewhat if not totally akin to the real world. Only the laws governing this landscape and aspirations are pliable to human will. The second reason for the life like experience of Second Life is psychological. A thing is real because it is perceived by a person to be so. For example, a chair exists because it could be perceived and felt by the mind of a person. If a person is blind, one’s mind may not perceive it to be real or present, unless one is allowed to touch it.

Similarly, the experiences of people in Second Life though having no elemental existence, the perceptions that they create, the sensations that they cause, the feelings that they evoke in the minds of the residents are as real. Thus it is possible that for a dedicated Second Life resident, the loss of a virtual property may cause almost same kind of remorse, if not that intense, as the loss of a real life property. 3. Gross commercialization of Second Life will make it as vulnerable and boring as the real world and will severely reduce its following.

However, one way in which companies can exploit second life is by using it to identify the unsatisfied human needs, which could be satisfied by a product or a service in the real world. For example an adventure sports company could identify the Second Life residents who prefer to fly like birds. This company can use this virtual platform to promote its paragliding facilities amongst this identified customer pool. The companies can also use Second Life to virtually enable the prospective customers to have a feel of their product or service.

For example, a company specializing in financial planning could offer the targeted Second Life residents, their expertise in the management of their virtual assets existing in Second Life.