Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds are a fairly new concept and allows for the extension of oneself. Like Dwight Schrute from The Office said, he liked his first life so much that he wanted a second one and that is something that a lot of people use these virtual worlds for. In Mehta's piece, After Second Life,
Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?, she brings up the point that we need to be critical and assess what advances virtual worlds can offer us. Jacki Morie, a virtual world designer, states that these virtual worlds can bring connectedness. Many think that sitting behind a ccomputer screen can cause isolation. Morie argues that this is not the case since virtual worlds allow you to create a body that you are allowed to live through and among other people who are doing the same thing. One disadvantage that people can use digital worlds for is creating fake personas. Technology gives you the tools needed to leverage your identity. In the article by Itzkoff, he said that his girlfriend said that his virtual character looks like a "cooler version" of him. People are allowed to manipulate their features and characteristics to create the ideal version of themselves which isn't necessarily bad but if they are using it to harm and "catfish" other people, that's where the issue is created.