Old Brain, New Media

Our assignment this week was to visit our professor on Second Life and then to blog about the experience. In the past, I have delved into online communities and self-created avatars with my use of RuneScape in high school. Second Life took that experience to a completely new level.

To summarize, my experience consisted of logging in and typing Penn State Island into the “places” search tool. From there I transported myself there and waited for my professor to show up, since I was early. In that time, I moved around a little bit and explored my surroundings.

Moving in Second Life is similar to playing a video game, except that you can control whether you wish to walk, run, or fly. Walking and running are just as they sound. However, flying was the coolest feature, since you could see a lot of your surroundings without having to be too patient.

From there I met with my professor. We briefly chatted about Second Life and what it was like to be on it. I thought it was humorous how our avatars typed in mid-air when we were typing a response. To be honest, I didn't quite like using the microphone. I thought it was too close since in reality I was laying in bed after a Sunday nap. This idea sounds a bit like telepresence, where the things we watch and see appear real to us and we respond in real ways.

I have entitled this blog entry “Old Brain, New Media,” primarily because in the usage of avatars we, the users, still continue to follow traditional social norms. I noticed that, when talking with Dr. Bock, it was comfortable to stand at a normal distance from her, even though in the game it really didn't matter if I stood 10 feet away, or even 100 feet away.

The interactivity of Second Life allowed me to feel like I was really in another realm that I could manipulate and control. I could change my camera angle or how I look. I could make my avatar run away, sit, or jump. The combination of interactivity and the appearance of the graphic interface made my experience with Second Life hyperreal.

While I don't think I plan on continuing my use of Second Life any time soon, it was certainly an experience that I will remember in my everyday use of the internet. Many websites are trying to get creative in how they draw viewers in, and each day we move closer to a Second Life type of browsing. I think it will be interesting to see how the internet develops in the future and whether we are truly moving towards an internet made up of avatars and virtual realms.

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