Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

What are different ways these virtual worlds can be used? What are the pros and cons? Be specific. How do virtual worlds foster creativity? What do you think the future of virtual worlds will look like?

Hello everyone! Today, I am talking about a "virtual world".

First, I am not familiar with a concept of a virtual world, so I am surprised at a fact that the virtual world is utilized for business. This is one of the creative ways to use the virtual world. It is now beyond an entertainment. Let's take a look at examples...

According to a article "Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life", creators of Second Life, more than 1,400 organizations, including large companies, educational institutions, government agencies and even the U.S. military, use Second Life to hold meeting, conduct training and prototype new technologies more efficiently. Moreover, there is a fact that IBM's technological leaders from around the world met for 72 hours via Second Life to brainstorm about new technologies. 

The virtual world can save time and money for a business trip, and can avoid feeling an isolation because of a highly engaged environment.   

There is an interesting experiment of the relationship between behaviors in the virtual world and behaviors in the real world. Participants are assigned to play as Superman (a heroic avatar), Voldemort (a villainous avatar), or a circle (a neutral avatar). After playing the game, they taste both chocolate or chilli sauce and give either one to the future participant. The experiment shows that playing as an avatar yielded stronger effects on subsequent behavior than just watching someone else play as the avatar.

Your experience in the virtual world may affect more your behavior in the real world than you expect. Playing inappropriate actions in the virtual world may cause of committing a crime in the real world. It is a good approach that Second Life requires everyone to be at least 16 years old before they can create an account and the service is limited if they are under 18 years old. This is one the ways to avoid a crime by younger generations.

More companies and institutions may utilize the virtual world for business and be easier to break borders between countries. If they are getting used to it, the virtual world will look exactly like the real world and people will "live" in the virtual world. That would be amazing and I am looking forward to seeing the progress in five years :)