WOW!!!I had a look at the some of the virtual world programs available,however I was reluctant to actually purchase any. It does concern me that these "games " give users, particularly children, false ideas on how life actually works. eg In the second life program the focus on shopping and "buy anything" "Unlimited purchasing" and "You have total Control" concerns me! Being in the education game I am all too aware of the lack of resilience a lot of our young learners have and I do question whether these "Virtual World" programs have positive impacts on them.
My thirteen year old daughter has some of the Sims PC games and enjoys them immensly! A far cry from the good old cardboard cut outs and paper clothes!!! I think in this technologial age that we are in , time allocated to these games must be heavily monitored. It is a lot different to playing barbie dolls for hours and creating plots and settings.The Virtual world games require making choices rather than being creative!!!
Virtual World games certainly make you think about the social ramifications for our young!!!!!!
Hi!! As a Second Life User I agree with your observations but would like to add that many "residents" including myself have had some very creative experiences. Almost everything you see in Second Life has been "built" by the players -trees, waterfalls, buildings, skins, clothing, landscapes, vehicles, etc. I have learnt some scripting skills, how to use Photoshop and Gimp, and attended many inworld tutorials. Virtual world experiences can be good, bad, creative, social, great learning opportunities or a waste of time. It's all in the hands and choices of the user.
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