We have met the Internet and it is us
In a New York Times story about Second Life, Shira Boss notes familiar parallels between the real and the virtual: When people are given the opportunity to create a fantasy world, they can and do defy the laws of gravity (you can fly in Second Life), but not of economics or human nature. Players in ...
In a New York Times story about Second Life, Shira Boss notes familiar parallels between the real and the virtual: When people are given the opportunity to create a fantasy world, they can and do defy the laws of gravity (you can fly in Second Life), but not of economics or human nature. Players in this digital, global game don?t have to work, but many do. They don?t need to change clothes, fix their hair, or buy and furnish a home, but many do. They don?t need to have drinks in their hands at the virtual bar, but they buy cocktails anyway, just to look right, to feel comfortable. Second Life residents find ways to make money so they can spend it to do things, look impressive, and get more stuff, even if it?s made only of pixels. In a place where people should never have to clean out their closets, some end up devoting hours to organizing their things, purging, even holding yard sales. ?Why can?t we break away from a consumerist, appearance-oriented culture?? said Nick Yee, who has studied the sociology of virtual worlds and recently received a doctorate in communication from Stanford. ?What does Second Life say about us, that we trade our consumerist-oriented culture for one that?s even worse?? I'd say that last quote says more about Yee than about the people he's wailing about. That said, OxBlog's Taylor Owen has a decent answer: One thing is becoming increasingly clear though, "second life" is a misnomer. The internet is not an alternative to life, it is life. It is us, in all our complexity, madness and brilliance, out in the open for all to see, critique and engage.
In a New York Times story about Second Life, Shira Boss notes familiar parallels between the real and the virtual:
When people are given the opportunity to create a fantasy world, they can and do defy the laws of gravity (you can fly in Second Life), but not of economics or human nature. Players in this digital, global game don?t have to work, but many do. They don?t need to change clothes, fix their hair, or buy and furnish a home, but many do. They don?t need to have drinks in their hands at the virtual bar, but they buy cocktails anyway, just to look right, to feel comfortable. Second Life residents find ways to make money so they can spend it to do things, look impressive, and get more stuff, even if it?s made only of pixels. In a place where people should never have to clean out their closets, some end up devoting hours to organizing their things, purging, even holding yard sales. ?Why can?t we break away from a consumerist, appearance-oriented culture?? said Nick Yee, who has studied the sociology of virtual worlds and recently received a doctorate in communication from Stanford. ?What does Second Life say about us, that we trade our consumerist-oriented culture for one that?s even worse??
I’d say that last quote says more about Yee than about the people he’s wailing about. That said, OxBlog’s Taylor Owen has a decent answer:
One thing is becoming increasingly clear though, “second life” is a misnomer. The internet is not an alternative to life, it is life. It is us, in all our complexity, madness and brilliance, out in the open for all to see, critique and engage.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
More from Foreign Policy
Can Russia Get Used to Being China’s Little Brother?
The power dynamic between Beijing and Moscow has switched dramatically.
Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World
It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.
It’s a New Great Game. Again.
Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.
Iraqi Kurdistan’s House of Cards Is Collapsing
The region once seemed a bright spot in the disorder unleashed by U.S. regime change. Today, things look bleak.
Sign up for Morning Brief
Foreign Policy’s flagship daily newsletter with what’s coming up around the world today. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.
