Today technology will be our lady.
The link between virtual reality and the internet is becoming clearer its results are just beginning to show up and may develop into an "unreal" or "virtual" plane of existence, but still a very influent in the real one. Virtual reality is known as the mix between hardware and software that allows people to experience events as if they were "real" while they're actually simulations showed on a screen or some other output device. The users can control a given avatar and act within the virtual world by inputting commands through keyboards, controllers, or some other specific-made hardware. Some accept voice commands and/or include motion-tracking systems.
As ridiculous as it may seem to buy intangible things or use unreal money, internet-based sales are very common and services like Paypal which help make them easier are available to almost everyone. By 2008 eBay had more than 200 million registered users and as of February 12th of this year, more than 50 million people have joined the PlayStation Network (PSN). According to the United Nations, world population is around 6,800 million so .75% of every one of us humans is registered in PSN and more than 3% of human population has registered at eBay. I know some people may have multiple accounts and some other accounts may be used no more, also there are people who have closed theirs, but still reaching 1-3% in worldwide population with not so many years in the market is HUGE!, just imagine how can this grow in the next 10 years.
Now, into the gaming area. These get their success mainly because they offer experiences mostly impossible for players. The bad side of this is that psychiatrists have made it clear that almost everything can make people addicted, technology and video games are no exception. Although its a relatively new concern, it is very real and he effects are seen more commonly. I mentioned PSN, and in PlayStation Home (for those who don't know about it, imagine playing Sims online without the job/work element), more than 7 million users get to know each other, but the amazing thing is that people spend real money to get furniture, clothing or new apartment displays.
If PS Home seemed too much, almost every MMO game has its own internal economy which allows players to become richer if they spend real money in exchange of items or in-game currency. Where it gets to be a matter deserving attention is with games such as Second Life. In there we have 18 million registered users playing. Let's make it just 10 million because of duplicated accounts and abandoned ones. Each one of them can offer services and not only exchange real money into Linden dollars (L$ is the in-game currency), but people can also offer services, work, rent their lands and such recreations of so-called "real life" and turn the L$ they make into US dollars. Surely this has its advantages for people who cannot find a job, but also, it creates major inflation problems if more and more people get US$ from L$, it is making money out of thin air and collaborating with inflation (not so different from what speculation in financial market is all about). So people making a reputation and spending their time clicking a mouse in front of a monitor is no longer a waste of time as we know it.
Right now addicted people are labeled, pointed at and marginalized, but what happens when addiction starts to become normality, then the "weirdos" might be the ones who cannot adapt to the new practices. Don't misunderstand me, I HATE prejudices and discriminating stereotypes, I think whoever choses to, in this case work realistically or virtually, should be respected. My concern here is to make the ones between you who never thought about it, that both virtual avatars and real life individuals and their actions affect each other. Imagine if today all electrical power went down and couldn't be restored, you get what I mean? It is not only about politics and economics being shattered down to pieces, our very own way of life and communication even among family members would be done for, to mention just something. Today, "virtual" and "real" are really connected and our daily activities and rituals involve both of them to some degree.
The link between virtual reality and the internet is becoming clearer its results are just beginning to show up and may develop into an "unreal" or "virtual" plane of existence, but still a very influent in the real one. Virtual reality is known as the mix between hardware and software that allows people to experience events as if they were "real" while they're actually simulations showed on a screen or some other output device. The users can control a given avatar and act within the virtual world by inputting commands through keyboards, controllers, or some other specific-made hardware. Some accept voice commands and/or include motion-tracking systems.
As ridiculous as it may seem to buy intangible things or use unreal money, internet-based sales are very common and services like Paypal which help make them easier are available to almost everyone. By 2008 eBay had more than 200 million registered users and as of February 12th of this year, more than 50 million people have joined the PlayStation Network (PSN). According to the United Nations, world population is around 6,800 million so .75% of every one of us humans is registered in PSN and more than 3% of human population has registered at eBay. I know some people may have multiple accounts and some other accounts may be used no more, also there are people who have closed theirs, but still reaching 1-3% in worldwide population with not so many years in the market is HUGE!, just imagine how can this grow in the next 10 years.
Now, into the gaming area. These get their success mainly because they offer experiences mostly impossible for players. The bad side of this is that psychiatrists have made it clear that almost everything can make people addicted, technology and video games are no exception. Although its a relatively new concern, it is very real and he effects are seen more commonly. I mentioned PSN, and in PlayStation Home (for those who don't know about it, imagine playing Sims online without the job/work element), more than 7 million users get to know each other, but the amazing thing is that people spend real money to get furniture, clothing or new apartment displays.
If PS Home seemed too much, almost every MMO game has its own internal economy which allows players to become richer if they spend real money in exchange of items or in-game currency. Where it gets to be a matter deserving attention is with games such as Second Life. In there we have 18 million registered users playing. Let's make it just 10 million because of duplicated accounts and abandoned ones. Each one of them can offer services and not only exchange real money into Linden dollars (L$ is the in-game currency), but people can also offer services, work, rent their lands and such recreations of so-called "real life" and turn the L$ they make into US dollars. Surely this has its advantages for people who cannot find a job, but also, it creates major inflation problems if more and more people get US$ from L$, it is making money out of thin air and collaborating with inflation (not so different from what speculation in financial market is all about). So people making a reputation and spending their time clicking a mouse in front of a monitor is no longer a waste of time as we know it.
Right now addicted people are labeled, pointed at and marginalized, but what happens when addiction starts to become normality, then the "weirdos" might be the ones who cannot adapt to the new practices. Don't misunderstand me, I HATE prejudices and discriminating stereotypes, I think whoever choses to, in this case work realistically or virtually, should be respected. My concern here is to make the ones between you who never thought about it, that both virtual avatars and real life individuals and their actions affect each other. Imagine if today all electrical power went down and couldn't be restored, you get what I mean? It is not only about politics and economics being shattered down to pieces, our very own way of life and communication even among family members would be done for, to mention just something. Today, "virtual" and "real" are really connected and our daily activities and rituals involve both of them to some degree.
Technology surely is being developed quickly and its uses, more than doing "good or wrong", can get to create a new world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about video games exclusively. Some may say that things you can't touch or smell are not real (Morpheus should have a little talk with them) and here comes some generational abyss. Generation Y (like myself) which are the majority of so-called digital immigrants and Generation Z composed almost entirely of digital natives, both are generations which have integrated technology into daily life in a major degree. Yes, everyone depends on some degree of technology, but I think an example can make things more clear: I'm here blogging and you are reading this. I know (and thank) that my readers may include also people from Generation X or from the Baby Boomers, my point is: new people is being born having technology as a common/normal aspect of life, today it is as common to have a way into the web as it is to catch some rain living in England. We depend on it and we like it to get more and more into our lives that it whether it turns out dangerous or improves life, virtual and online based realities are bending together with real reality sucking us into a new way of life, a new monotony, a new ritual.
By the way, before you leave, would you please spend some minutes giving me some feedback? It is much appreciated.
Thanks, see you all next time.
By the way, before you leave, would you please spend some minutes giving me some feedback? It is much appreciated.
Thanks, see you all next time.
Indeed. Despite the fact that I support transhumanism to some degree, it is notorious that virtual reality may become either beneficial or dangerous, depending on the focus.
ReplyDeleteIf we all got plugged into it, there might be no more hunger, no more poverty, no more ecological problems, etc. We would be like ghosts to this world, and maybe it does need us leaving. However, that's not all.
Imagine two new Generations, let's call the, Y+ and Z+. Y+ will be the ones who transfered their lives from real reality to virtual reality. Z+ would be the ones born in that world, much like in the Matrix movies.
Imagine a couple decades pass and people forget about real reality. I wonder, would we not be willing to create another virtual reality within that virtual reality? Thus, creating a Matryoska Multiverse with hundreds of reality layers, one stranger than the last one. What would the limit be?
Some say humans fusing with technology is most desirable, and to some degree I accept it is, however, will the whole world ride that spiral of that reality degradation? Will we forget completely about where we come from?
AntropoTechnological fusion is quite interesting, most of those of us who are reading this might think so, but is it really what we want?
Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj8ZadKgdC0
The human heart is a deep void of emptiness. What will fill that void?
@NumberXIII Thanks for your comment and what you say about the reality layers is an interesting point which could be developed further and in a very deep way. I also have an idea for another outcome, in the point where the third reality layer would emerge, there is a possibility of "digital life being so common" that people will look into the past and recover it, thus waking back up into this first reality. It is a long shot, I know, but lack of identity has been a constant trigger in humanity for them to look back to their ancestors. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteIt could be, but unfortunately mankind tends to avoid the inconvenient and, as much as we may deny it, virtual life would be much more convenient than real life. Not necessarily better, but quite quite comfortable
ReplyDelete@NumberXIII I guess you're right. Now, here's a question: wouldn't virtuality be taking the place of spirituality. I say this in the sense of transcending into another plane in which the mine/spirit alone matters. Only that in virtual reality you just pay for it instead of spending time with spirituality, so we'd just be changing our spirit for some wannabe experiences.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?
I think it might, however, it's not the same, for spirituality is about trascending to a higher state of reality, while virtuality would mean trascending into a lower state of reality. Simply put, Spirituality > Reality > Virtuality in terms of complexity.
ReplyDelete