Avatars...A second Life

With the popularity of the movie, Avatar, and the rapidly growing siginificance of social networking, it seemed pertinent to me to talk about another avenue for social networking. If you haven't heard of "Second Life," you have missed the avatar version of social networking. Well, maybe it is just socializing... In any event, Second Life is a rapidly growing online version of life as an avatar. The site is growing rapidly and it is becoming more significant all of the time. Want to dance? Secondf Life. Want to find a playmate? Second Life, Want to build a house? Second Life. Want to play games? Second Life. I could go on, but I suspect you get my point.

Members of Second Life can design the avatar to fit what they want to project. Want to be sexy? Second Life. Want to be fat, thin, tall, short, old, young... Ok, enough is enough.

A friend told me about Second Life, so being the curious type, I gave it a try. It is a powerful medium. Real Life (RL) and Second Life (SL) get confused in relationships, to the extent that some people experience a great deal of painful learning about themselves. I think the lesson of SL is that the RL version of you is always with your avatar.

The internet has changed our lives in many ways. Second Life is just another example of the ways in which the age of online living can come to life.

Give it a try. It won't be a fit for most of you, I suspect, but it is an interesting study in human nature in the age of the internet.

Ron