I never heard of Second Life until Electronic Communications class this year, but now it seems that every news web page I bring up has a headline about this popular virtual world. Most recently I read an article on CNN.com titled "Second Life affair ends in divorce." Naturally, I was intrigued. This is a relationship that started online, turned into a face-to-face relationship, which resulted in a face-to-face wedding as well as a virtual one, and then events occurred online that caused it to end for good. This woman caught her husband's avatar having an affair with a female avatar prostitute. Is cheating in a virtual world equivalent to cheating in the real world?
Recently in class, we watched videos about the adult world in Second Life. We heard about a female avatar prostitute, who kept her actual identity hidden because she was a PTA mother-of-two and a wife. She keeps her two identities completely separate and hopes that she will never
be discovered. During an interview with her avatar the woman said her job on Second Life is a "stress reliever." However, she never said whether or not her husband knew she is a Second Life prostitute, so only assumptions can be made. Suppose he didn't know, there is a strong possibility that he could view her actions as being unfaithful. If an avatar, who is in a relationship, pursues sexual relations with another avatar, isn't it still considered cheating? The avatars are able to talk to each other and state exactly what they are thinking, dirty thoughts and all. They are also able to purchases beds that allow them to have "sex." If avid Second Life users want people to take this virtual world seriously, shouldn't the users accept that their actions have repercussions? If a person can have wedding ceremonies in Second Life, then they can be unfaithful there as well.
Although everyone has his or her own opinions as to what cheating consists of, Second Life is a gray area. There is no actual contact between the two people; the only intimacy is from words and the actions between the electronic characters. However, since there is a person behind every avatar, I strongly believe that cheating in Second Life deserves the same consequences as to when someone cheats in real life. The intent, the desire, and the disrespect to a spouse are similarities between the two that cannot be ignored.
3 comments:
I was totally going to blog about this article too! But then I found ANOTHER Second Life article and blogged about it instead! I totally understand the fact that you have never heard of Second Life and then all of a sudden it's EVERYWHERE! It kind of reminds me of when people buy new cars, and then see tons of the same exact cars they just bought out on the street.
But I agree with you, in the fact that Second Life should be considered cheating. If you take a marriage vow on Second Life, then you should be held responsible for the actions you find yourself doing on Second Life. But then there is the moral problem of, well Guy A is married to Woman 1 in real life, but he is married to Woman 2 in Second Life, but Woman 1 has no idea about it. Can different marriages really occur? Are the Second Life ones legit? I just think that with this whole new world of technology that is opening up, rules will have to be set down for society to follow.
Oh this is such a hard one! There is a barrier that a virtual world has against the real world and with cheating, it can be debating to the death! Everyone has their own perception of what cheating is and here is mine. Though there is no physical meeting and no interaction face-to-face, I'm going to agree that these virtual relationships can be classified as cheating. If people can tell a random girl/guy on the internet the dirtiest of thoughts they may have and are sneaking to do so, obviously they know that something isn't right! I just feel that there is a connection still, even if it's just a cartton image, when there are relations online.
haha oh catie mae...i love reading your blogs. But yes, this is a gray area. I feel as though if my significant other was "cheating" on me with an advatar, I wouldn't break up right there, but possibly give another chance. But there is also the fact that if someone cheats on thier significant other with an advatar, that's pretty pathetic., so maybe they should be dumped.
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