All three of my essays were based on the social aspect of second life and its many possibilities. In the essay to my parents, I wrote a general overview of Second Life and then discussed how it has been compared to a social networking utility much like Facebook. When I wrote to my sociology professor, I also gave a general idea of this virtual world and then focused on specific examples of how sociology is present in this Second Life. In the essay to a fellow student, I didn’t need to give a description of the program. Instead I discussed the social aspect of Second Life in a completely different manner. I argued that a virtual world could potentially have detrimental effects on human interaction as we know it.

Dear Mom and Dad,

            As I have already mentioned to you, my English 103 course is centered on a computer program called Second Life. Second Life consists of a virtual world which, according to its creator Philip Rosedale, has grown to approximately three times the size of San Francisco since its introduction in 2006, due to the tens of thousands of residents who are free to build and use land as they please. Residents create avatars within Second Life, and they interact with other avatars from around the world. I would describe Second Life as a cross between The Sims and Facebook, due to the fact that interaction with other residents enables this program to become more then a game but rather a social network. One can meet a wide range of people and converse with them through either instant messaging or voice. These people can be put into a list of ‘Friends,’ in order to simplify future interaction and communication; similar to how individuals interact with one another on Facebook. People often compare Second Life to The Sims because while ‘in world,’ residents can create buildings, landscapes, and many other objects for both their own personal enjoyment, and the enjoyment of others. One such structure created by a Second Life resident is the Sistine Chapel, which educational classes and other groups of people can visit and tour. Having these types of buildings in Second Life enables people to experience such structures without actually having to visit its location. I believe that Second Life will enable me to experience education in ways that I had never before thought imaginable, while interacting with different people, from different cultures, with different beliefs, who come from all over the globe.  

Response from Mom:

My experience with the SIMS has been limited to a glance from behind your back or from behind one of your sisters as you played,  and the four of you click off your Facebook before I get close.  So, my knowledge is certainly not firsthand but I can try to imagine Second Life. 

Nothing in my mind can truly replace the experience of the Sistine Chapel or of conversing face to face with someone from another country but Second Life might just be the next best thing.  I put it up there with on-line college classes.  If you can't get to class, then expanding your knowledge by way of on-line lectures is better than nothing. 

Second Life could be an exciting diversion from other media  like television or listening to music.  It sounds like a perpetual game with the bonus that you make cyber connections with tons of people you wouldn't otherwise meet.  I also like the creative aspect involved in creating avatars and developing space.  I wonder, though, about the time the tens of thousands are committing to an activity that doesn't get them anywhere is their lives.  It reminds me that we never got Game Boys or Nintendo. 

But there is something wonderfully futuristic about Second Life.  I think it really pushes the envelope and I'm glad you've had the opportunity to experience it. 

Dear Professor Mowery (Sociology),

            My English 103 class is based on a computer program called Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world in which its residents create ‘avatars’ that will inhabit this world and interact with other avatars. Each member of my class has created an avatar and we will spend the rest of the semester exploring this virtual world and writing about our findings. We can change the physical characteristics, facial features, clothes, and many other attributes of our avatar however we please. Currently, Second Life has tens of thousands of residents, and while ‘in world’ we have the opportunity to interact with users from around the globe. I am anxious to see the role sociology plays in this virtual world, by observing the ways in which avatars interact with one another based on their race, gender, age, etc. Professor Essid has told our class about an advertisement he once saw in a clothing store in Second Life that read “Be 18 Again…Forever.” This immediately made me think of the social structure associated with age. As we discussed in class, people who are older feel more withdrawn from society. I'm not trying to shed a negative light on the elderly, but I believe that Second Life enables anyone to feel young again, and therefore become reconnected with society, because as individuals age, their direct interaction with society lessens. He also told me that one of our assignments in second life will be to either change our avatar’s gender or their race for a certain period of time. I believe that this assignment in Second Life will provide me a unique experience in which I will be able to better understand and witness the social interactions between different groups of people.      

Response from Prof Mowery:

What an interesting course! Many sociologists are interested in studying

virtual worlds such as Second Life. From a sociological perspective, I

think you would be interested in analyzing whether this virtual world

could, on its own, constitute a new type of society. Also, another

sociological issue deals with whether participation in this virtual

world weakens the integration necessary for the functioning of our

actual physical (or non-virtual) society. With respect to your

discussion of age-don't forget that not all older people are withdrawn

from society (and in fact, some sociologists hypothesize that many young

people who are isolated within the larger society turn to these virtual

worlds to feel integrated within a community).

Dear Fellow Student,

            I am both intrigued and confused by Second Life thus far. From what I understand, it appears to be a program that will enhance my learning experience here at Richmond and provide me with another means of social networking. Although this virtual world has many advantages, such as its renditions of famous artwork and architecture, its many educational benefits, and its prospect of meeting new people from a variety of different backgrounds, I still find myself baffled as to why someone would need a ‘second life.’ Do people in modern society feel that their lives are so unfulfilling that they need to create a virtual rendition of reality in order to fill a personal void, or do they use Second Life to enhance and further develop their already flourishing life? While I believe that Second Life offers us an opportunity to meet and interact with people from different areas of the Earth in a way that is second to none, I can’t help but to wonder how this virtual world will affect all other forms of social interaction. It worries me that face-to-face interaction could potentially suffer if Second Life grows into the dominate form of human interaction. I believe that human to human contact is a form of interaction that should never be lost. It is the one way to truly understand someone by using all five of your senses. While I do think that virtual worlds are a unique and exciting way to communicate, they should never become the dominate form of human interaction; rather a secondary way of connecting with people.

no response from student available

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