What impact will virtual world bring to the real world?

What impact will virtual world bring to the real world?

A major controversial and debatable point about the development of virtual world is what impact will it bring to the real world.

Second Life seems to be quite the progressive tool. Everyone seems to be very positive about this new technology and the impact that it already has on the world in terms of significantly improving communication, social networking and business platforms. However, people are beginning to raise concerns about the possible effects of the booming of virtual world. Will it negatively affect human behavior in terms of bringing violence to the real world the way other computer games do? Will it undermine some basic social concepts like marriage, family, ethics or even morality? Since virtual worlds use the same resources in real world like time and human power, will the flourishing of the virtual world reduce or even deplete the resources and productivity in the real world?

The bright side of the virtual world is quite easy to see and to be excited about. Many believe that “Second Life” is where society and technology should be headed – simply because the possibilities are endless. Who wouldn't want to go to a place where all of your imperfections in real life are nonexistent; a place where you can look as slim and as sexy as you always wished you were; a place where all of the problems of the real world (e.g. pollution, climate change, hunger, genocide, over population, war, etc.) do not exist? It may be wonderful to take just the good aspects of the real world and build an alternate reality with them. Virtual worlds have allowed us to do so - but is that good? We may still be distant from the extreme of computers taking over mankind, but we cannot deny the possibility of a situation arising one day when we have to choose between the red or blue pill as Neo did in the Matrix.