MonkeyPie
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2008
- Messages
- 6,059
Date: 9/5/2008 7:19:40 PM
Author: Haven
I don''t think it''s the spending time chatting and creating relationships online that is weird*, it is the way that Second Life seems to create a virtual reality that is disconnected from one''s real life. It is the fact that people can ''marry'' others or ''date'' others on SL, but it isn''t really a marriage or a relationship that I don''t understand.
The article I linked talks about how this woman had a ''virtual'' boyfriend, which insinuates that they weren''t dating IRL. I don''t understand that. I don''t consider the conversations I''ve engaged in on PS and the relationships I''ve built with other PSers to be fake, a part of a ''virtual'' reality. If I recognized Gypsy in real life, for example, I''d say ''HEY!!!! Gypsy! It''s Haven from PS! Oh my gosh, I can''t believe I''m meeting you in real life!'' I wouldn''t walk away because I only know her in virtual reality. THAT is the part that is a bit bizarre to me.
*OBVIOUSLY! I met my hubby on jdate.com, and I spend quite a bit of time chatting it up with you lovely ladies on PS.
I think maybe you are nto considering a "virtual" boyfriend to be an "online" boyfriend. This man and woman from the article met in real life - you would never have a desire to meet a virtual boyfriend, because he isn''t real. He''s pixels and text on a screen. A long distance, online boyfriend, however, you WOULD meet, because you interact outside of the game.
I see no difference between this and role-playing. Which I have also done.