Virtual Worlds - Task 9

Hmmm... not convinced on this one. The whole virtual world thing still really doesn't appeal to me and I'm not sure it ever will. I couldn't understand when one of the big gaming brands bought out virtual worlds a few years ago... where your avatar could meet up with someone else's avatar to 'do' coffee... why not just really 'do' coffee? I could possibly see the benefits of these types of online social settings for people who were physically unable to leave their houses, or if you were living too far away for regular face to face contact; however, there are many more alternate ways to 'catch up' in these circumstances ie Skype, texting, facebook which use technology but are all based in the 'Real' world. What are the benefits of buying a house that can't provide you with actual shelter, or buying a coffee that you can't really drink? I think virtual worlds are dangerous as people can potentially get caught up in the pretend and loose connection with reality. Isn't it better to teach children to be the best person they can be in real life?