Second Life – Where?

Hello class:

Second Life is an interesting feature of cyberspace. We have addressed the implication of virtual reality in the past, so let’s try to see other patterns.

Levinson states that Second Life was welcomed into the invisible, yet magnificent, environment of cyberspace in 2003. I have to admit that this is the first time I am reading about it – apart from Law & Order SVU’s episodes during which I simply thought they were made up... This book is really a guide to so many relatively recent online features!

In Europe, at least in Greece and in a few other countries with which I am familiar, such websites do not appear to take off as fast and when they do become popular they do not last for very long. The overwhelming nature of the internet creates a “web” of sites capable to distract people’s attention.

The endless possibilities made available through the virtual world are enough to allow people to indulge in this environment, but why such an explosion of information and sites that provides alternative – virtual – lifestyles originates from the US?

What are the cultural differences between the average consumer in the US from that in Europe? Is there a specific age group that these sites are targeted towards?

The more I read Levinson’s chapter, the more complicated I though Second life sounded. It does have some very appealing sides, but why don’t we hear about an equivalent demand from Europe for a social network of this nature?

Any thoughts?

Margaret M. Roidi