So as you all know, I have been using the game Second Life as my immortal platform. It has left me with a few awkward experiences and yet very little understanding of how the game works. One of the first times I played I made a friend named Seth, he immediately asked me to go to an adult only area...I tried to go but since my account settings were not set for that level of interaction I was unable to.
If I had gone would it mean that I had engaged in actual sexual behavior?
If your girlfriend had virtual sex would you be upset, feel betrayed?
Would sex with Seth have meant anything?
I have thought about this and I think it is a lot like porn except it engages the user on a higher level. If I had regularly had sexual encounters (virtually) with this Seth guy then I think it would be considered actual sex. But if I had done it just once for the experience, having no emotional connection, I would not consider it an actual sexual experience. It would be equivalent to watching porn online, in my opinion.
Ideas...?
This is kind of what I was talking about, as Second Life allows people to anonymously live vicariously through an avatar. Second Life tells its users to create their virtual selves but I wonder how many users actually deal with interactions in Second Life the same way they would in real life. I think that perhaps it important to look at online interactions and realities in a different light. Theres a general idea that through anonymous interactions the online space reveals to us our true selves, who we really are.Just because someone is more comfortable being a sexual deviant in Second Life is the game really showing them their "true" selves? If you're "bold" enough to state your opinion online anonymously no matter how extreame does that mean that deep down inside you're a bold person, I don't think so. If anything augmented realities allow us to be a different person not who we really are.
ReplyDeleteYeah I dig what Kwesi was saying. We wouldn’t be ourselves on second life but does that make it more acceptable to engage in “unacceptable” acts? Since your not yourself is that sort of a way of not taking responsibility for people? I would be pissed if I knew a significant other was doing sexual things online even if it wasn’t physically with that person. Especially if they didn’t say anything about it. Its like they have a “second life” you can’t just do that. Its really an interesting topic to consider. IF we have all these different realities and personalities its almost like we are virtually skitzo, you on facebook, you on myspace, on plurk, on secondlife, world of warcraft. Always a different character, should we all be in mental institutions? Haha
ReplyDeleteBut yeah I would be interested in knowing if you guys would be pissed off if you found out your girlfriend/boyfriend did something sexual online with another person.
It is funny that you mentioned you would be mad if you had not been told. I told the person I am 'seeing' (whatever that means...) and he just laughed and was bummed that I didn't get to experience that weird world. I feel the same way about it.
ReplyDeleteBut the line would be crossed if I thought of it as more than a joke. Right now it is this huge joke and obscure world that I am exploring but I am not invested in it emotionally and I do not find it a very valuable place for me to express myself, but if I did then I think sex would be more meaningful on second life.