Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual words are used to mimic reality. They are often used to show one's ideal version of life, if one would have a choice but also portrays scenarios that may or may not occur in reality. The advantages of this include the ability to gain experience in gaming or even training for certain programs such as military, psychological therapy or medical training. 

For example, Stephanie Simon in her article, "Avatar II: The Hospital" explains the many different uses medical professionals may use in virtual worlds. "In addition to the disaster drills, Second Life is increasingly being used to train medical and nursing students in clinical skills. Medical schools traditionally have run such exercises using computerized mannequins, which can be programmed to exhibit certain symptoms. But each mannequin costs about $65,000, so there may be just one for every 50 or 100 students." (Simon, 2010) This program not only saves money for the hospital but it also gives individuals the ability to practice as much as possible to perfect their skills. 

Some disadvantages include the fact that it isn't the most perfect representation of our current world. For programmers, it is a very time-consuming and difficult task to mimic. Some obstacles developers face when creating these include lag time, lack of acuity, overlooking basic laws of physics and better tracking systems. In "Virtual Classroom" by Guy Posey et al., the author describes both the positive and negative impacts VR has within a classroom. To discuss the cons, the author states how "Internet students are put at a disadvantage when it comes to networking and forming new relationships. Students can get to know each other over the net however it does not replace the bond that is formed from face-to-face meetings." (Posey et al.)

Virtual worlds foster creativity by allowing individuals to explore a new world, a world that has no strict rules and is safe. Players are given the chance to challenge themselves in new aspects that may influence their real lives so they can apply these skills to their work and everyday tasks. 

In my opinion, the future of virtual worlds will probably be more incorporated into our daily lives.  With the many advantages they hold, including within the medical, psychological and military fields, the future is likely to contain more of this as we as a society shift our reality into a virtual one.