Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

With better computers, faster internet connections and better graphics, it is only the beginning of the virtual world. There are many website's out there that you can log into create an avatar and walk around interacting with different people. It started with video games like The Sims and has evolved into a live interaction with real people. What people choose to do with this power is totally up to them. According to the article "At Hearing, Real and Virtual Worlds Collide" congress is afraid of people using these virtual worlds to launder money, and drugs. How exactly they would do that I am not sure myself, but criminals are very intelligent and if there is a will they will find a way. Others hope to use the virtual world to help people with special needs interact with each other. The CNN report by Nicole Saidi discusses how "Naughty Auties" hopes to put people with autism interact with each other over the virtual world allowed them to communicate easier since they can do this in a comfortable setting instead of having to go meet new people in a random place.

Is interacting with an avatar over a virtual world overrated or is it worth trying? Many people find it difficult to go out into the real world and meet new people, or sometimes they simply don't like to physically leave their home. For these people the virtual world is a great place to go. Others would find it ludicrous to want to meet people via an avatar instead of having a physical interaction. We are social creatures who naturally want to be around others, but as technology gives us the opportunity to be around others in different manners. Whether you think that virtual worlds are crazy, or are fine with the idea of using them, the only thing for certain is that the internet is here to stay and as technology advances we will be using it more to interact with people. A few years ago online dating seemed frowned upon because you seemed desperate, while now match.com has become a multi-million dollar company. So the chances are that we are headed for  a more virtual world, where people will be more connected to the internet and will be interacting with people all over the world on their phones, or computers and less time interacting with the people around them.