Second Life is Good for the Environment, but is it good for Humans?

"The world used to be flat -- now it's going 3-Dimensional."

In the early 80's most kids were unaware of the existence of computers. Today our children are the future, they are the legs on which the world stands to move forth into a new era. The virtual age is upon us and if a person is unwilling to join this new world order, they will be left in the dark, with but a piece of college rule paper and a pen and a paper bin nearby to catch rolled up scrap paper.

It is quite possible that future managers will function in virtual, work and enjoy in office space like Second Life. Unless corporations need to meet with customers or they need to be present to manufacturing something tangible, many employees will not even bother commuting to work, but will function, socialize and optimize via Second Life. People will also avoid taking some vacations or even going out, and will conduct their rest, relaxation and socializing in a virtual, cost-free, anything-goes world.

But hey, I know it's not natural, but is it all that bad. In SL, you can get more profound and deeper (after all, you can scuba dive without tanks) than real life or jump to get a 50,000 feet view (flying is one of the biggest perks).

There is a flip side to every coin. For every yin there will be a yang. For ever light there is a dark. The same boded true for second life. While it is a great way to meet people and to communicate with people far away, it is also a tool to separate the masses. It is an on going joke between some of my friends and I that the more friends you have on facebook and myspace, the less friends you have in real life. Sometimes it feels like interactive games like World of Warcraft and Second life is taking away from the physical aspect of a relationship and communication.

Pretty soon reality will become virtual. No physical contact allowed except through the virtual lines of the internet. You want to go on a date, it is a virtual date between you, your computer and a webcam. While this is an extreme case, it can quite possibly become the reality if we don't curtail our obsession with the cyberworld and have at least some time for the physical in the present world. By no means am I saying that social media is not relevant or even helpful, but it still burns true, too much of anything is never good.

However, I see great value in slipping on SL so that you can shine in Real life (RL). Now let me get back to my Avatar and teleport to Bali -- I have a date I need to impress. LOL.