Virtual worlds are quite gripping, and I remember them being around since I was very young. Most of these virtual worlds applied to games like Sims or Runescape where players would embody a character online and play accordingly. I watched my cousins play these games habitually, and always questioned what was so compelling about it. They answered it was "fun" but they were definitely experiencing more than fun. They were experiencing an online community, interacting with other interested users, and yes, having fun as well.
Today, these virtual worlds have expanded beyond video games for purposes of just common interest, or a career field like in healthcare. In the New York Times article "In Room 100, It’s Sid and Nancy All Over Again," the author discusses a virtual world created to preserve the older Hotel Chelsea experience before the manager was replaced along with its bohemian style. Fans of this experience log onto an account and enter this virtual world to interact with other users and pre-made avatars. In the WSJ article "Avatar II: The Hospital," the author discusses nurses and doctors using virtual worlds to practice emergency/hospital scenes. In these scenes, nurses and doctors get to practice on patients and in medical situations that apply to real life.
Virtual worlds are beneficial in channeling creativity, creating online communities, and allowing individuals to be more social. My cousins didn't like socializing with family members, but they loved socializing in these virtual worlds. Common interests bring people together in these worlds and allow them to interact as well as think creatively in decision making to different situations. Unfortunately, they do harm human interaction, but at the pace they are going, virtual worlds aren't a significant harm. I see virtual worlds growing more in the educational aspects like that in the healthcare system, for tutorials, training or practice in a school or career field.
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