Second Earth

In an attempt to implement the visions of writers of science fiction into our current existence, the author suggests that it is not only eventual but inevitable that virtual worlds, real worlds and mirror worlds will collide into a single computer application.

The author states that Google Earth, Second Life, There and tiny audio and video feeds will be used to teleport avatars into mirror worlds with realistic countries and structures. The experience will be so real that the user will feel like they have actually taken a trip to wherever they have teleported to.

Having the ability to live life through an avatar reminds me of the lives experienced by “The One” of the Matrix and Arnold Schwazenegger [sp?] in Total Recall. The idea of living life through “consensual hallucinations” is not very appealing to me.

Why is society generating more and more distractions that require such anti-social behavior? Fostering the desire to hallucinate cannot be good for society.

As a near baby boomer, I enjoy actually experiencing life. Traveling to an exotic place just to taste the food, smell the flowers or feel the sand under my feet is what life’s pleasures are about. The thought of gaining these experiences while in a coma or an "in rem" state could not possibly satisfy my needs.

I read an article in the New York Times about the Great Depression. The positive outcome of that experience was that families were bought closer together because they were forced to communicate. They ate meals together and discussed the events of the day. Before the advent of recreational television, most of today’s families did the same.

If the only way one could learn socialization skills is through virtual reality, then that might explain some of the problems cities are experiencing. Learning socialization skills through avatars could render whole societies devoid of sensitivity to human tragedy. Looking at the news the pass few weekends has demonstrated that numerous people have no regard for human life. One man poisoned his wife because he has “come out of the closet” and could not bear the thought of her being with another man. Another man strangled his wife because he was cheating on her, and then dumped her naked body at the country club. Then there were the absolutely senseless murders of Jennifer Hudson’s family.

The art of communication is being lost. People simply do not sit down and talk anymore. Perhaps the distinction between virtual reality (as expressed in the morbid games of our youth) and reality has truly become blurred.