Thank you all for letting me know I’m not alone in my perspective on virtual worlds. My experience bears out every one of your comments.
Unfortunately, I can say that I’m both 55 and that I totally get it. (Or used to) About 4 and a half years ago, I heard about Second Life on NPR and thought “Cool! I have to see the graphics.” However, at that time, I was also in a very bad place, with severe sleep apnea that I didn’t know I had, and the attendant depression and loneliness of sleep deprivation. Barring work, I was already largely a recluse and Second Life didn’t help that. Yes, it’s true, I made two friendships in there that eventually extended to real life, one of which continues to this day. But, neglecting family, friends and cats, I spent a year and a half of my life essentially wasting away in what’s nothing more than a game.
Meeting one of my Second Life friends in real life and having a real, if unsuccessful, relationship, Second Life fell away, and I woke up to reality, for which I will be eternally grateful, because reality, with all it’s imperfections is where life is. Reality is where life can be improved upon, where, among other things, I got it together to figure out and deal with the sleep apnea and depression.
All of you have touched, in one way or another, on what amounts to the stagnation and diminishment of those invested in virtual worlds. My greatest personal loss during that time was my real sense of self and my spiritual growth.
It turns out that chatting with thousands of people over time who present ideal versions of themselves, but who are, for the most part, communicating dissatisfaction with themselves increases loneliness many fold. Whereas, tramping around in the sunny woods completely alone, mitigates loneliness. Go figure.
Yeah real life!
Thank you all for letting me know I’m not alone in my perspective on virtual worlds. My experience bears out every one of your comments.
Unfortunately, I can say that I’m both 55 and that I totally get it. (Or used to) About 4 and a half years ago, I heard about Second Life on NPR and thought “Cool! I have to see the graphics.” However, at that time, I was also in a very bad place, with severe sleep apnea that I didn’t know I had, and the attendant depression and loneliness of sleep deprivation. Barring work, I was already largely a recluse and Second Life didn’t help that. Yes, it’s true, I made two friendships in there that eventually extended to real life, one of which continues to this day. But, neglecting family, friends and cats, I spent a year and a half of my life essentially wasting away in what’s nothing more than a game.
Meeting one of my Second Life friends in real life and having a real, if unsuccessful, relationship, Second Life fell away, and I woke up to reality, for which I will be eternally grateful, because reality, with all it’s imperfections is where life is. Reality is where life can be improved upon, where, among other things, I got it together to figure out and deal with the sleep apnea and depression.
All of you have touched, in one way or another, on what amounts to the stagnation and diminishment of those invested in virtual worlds. My greatest personal loss during that time was my real sense of self and my spiritual growth.
It turns out that chatting with thousands of people over time who present ideal versions of themselves, but who are, for the most part, communicating dissatisfaction with themselves increases loneliness many fold. Whereas, tramping around in the sunny woods completely alone, mitigates loneliness. Go figure.
Yeah real life!