Get a (Second) Life?
May 12, 2009 • written by Jordan Sternberger
Second Life is an MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) created by Linden Lab, (a privately held American Internet company). In Second Life, you can buy your own land, make a completely customized avatar, which is an alternate persona you can customize and play the game through, talk to people all over the world, make your own items, and even start a business! With its intense level of social interaction, it can be a great way to meet people.
There are dangers, however. Some people have been stalked or harassed. This however can happen on any MMORPG. On Second Life, it’s hard for the moderators to know what age the players are. Because of this, underage kids can log on to Second Life and be exposed to extremely adult situations.
Linden Lab has made a Teen Second Life to help teens enjoy the virtual world without the adult content, but making a profile is based almost completely on the honor system. This means that teens can pose as adults and go on Second Life undiscovered. Another side of this is that adult predators can get on Teen Second Life.
Predators aside, some people have become so addicted to virtual worlds like Second Life that they’ve wholly abandoned their real-life friends. They devote themselves completely to their online world, going so far as to spend real money on the game.
Second Life can be a very addictive game. While playing Second Life it is important not to neglect real life. Play for about an hour or two, and then go outside for a bit.
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