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| "The People of Israel Leaving Egypt" (1956) by Marc Chagall. |
Can you see signs of this exodus in your own life? Have you ever developed a friendship with someone online? Have you observed cases in which you or people you know have paid more attention to the virtual world than to the world in front of you? Do you think the threat of this exodus is overrated?
Here's a nine-minute video in which Edward Castronova comments on the value of game play.
The virtual world has been expanding around us for many years, and I agree with Castronova that it is expanding rapidly. As with all things, the evolution (Castronova may call it revolution) carries both good and bad results. The virtual world does and will continue to provide availability of information on demand and world-wide communication of ideas and cultures (stories.) Teachers use computers in K - 12 to help children learn. Young people soon have their own devices for school assignments and communication. When shopping it seems that everyone has a phone attached to his/her head! - And of course, some do. (No Hands!) I have seen a person become more engaged in her phone conversation than with the person across the table, even on a special occasion. More and more often we can register for, and attend a series of lectures or seminars, sometimes called a "webinar" or a "webcast" These virtual experiences are becoming more and more realistic. The one hosted by Charles Schwab on July 24, from 4:00 to 7:30pm was beautifully executed, and really drew one into the virtual world. That company has scheduled their next webcast for September 10. A similar series by Oprah and Deepak Chopra just a few months ago was far simpler. In both cases the speakers did receive and respond to questions from their audiences. Many newspapers now have electronic editions, and publishers and reporters discuss the approaching demise of the "hard copy." The telephone has been a highly useful business and personal device for many years, but the substitution of recorded voices and menus is driving the land-based phone to the same uselessness as the horse drawn carriage. OK -- so we like cell phones! I doubt that the exodus is overstated. Change has been and always will be dramatic.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a gamer, so when I first read this part of the book, I didn't see it in my own life until I took a long hard look. My exodus has been not to a virtual world, but to virtual interaction with the people I know and love. Social Media is, in my opinion, a virtual "world." In this world, we share our highlights and anything else we believe will get us the ultimate prize: "likes." Now, I'm not one of them, but I have friends who will delete any picture they post that doesn't get more than 25 likes. I've been out on a girl's night in which no one was talking to anyone who was physically at the get-together. I do not think the threat is overrated. As great as the virtual world is, physical interaction shouldn't (and hopefully will not) lose it's place as our first method of communication and storytelling.
ReplyDeleteI can see the draining of human beings’ attention into the virtual world every day. I am guilty, and many others are as well of doing things such as texting and driving, face-booking, tweeting, tumbling, and whatever other types of things there are to do virtually constantly. It is a huge part of all of our lives. I haven’t ever developed a friendship with someone online, but I communicate with friends and family online all the time. Sadly, any time I go out to eat with family and friends you can look around and there are always one or two (if not all of the people sitting at the table) who are on their cell phones, and I am guilty. I do believe the threat of this “exodus” is overrated though. We are humans and we will always have to talk and communicate with each other at some point. In order to reproduce and populate the Earth there must be human to human contact, so I am not weary of a time where there is no human communication.
ReplyDeleteI used to wait tables at a restaurant and all around me I saw evidence of this exodus to the virtual world: couples would sit together and play on their cell phones, never even looking at each other. Parents would sit their kids down in front of iPads and iPhones to keep them calm and quiet. I think it's sad that we lack the face-to-face human interaction even while sharing a formal meal with our friends or family. However, a statement in this section particularly caught my attention: 'The future looks bleak for reality.' With the availability of social media and games and all sorts of interactional fiction, why wouldn't people choose that over reality? It allows you to hide behind a screen and create your life story rather than have to go out and earn your reputation. I hope that Tristan is right about human contact always having to exist, because I think people enjoy the ease and satisfaction of the virtual world a little too much.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Edward Castronova: this is the biggest migration. People of every age are stepping into the ever popular and growing world of virtual life and communication. There is so much potential and opportunity through the screen, so people continue to become more involved, which fuels more growth in order to increase convenience, connection, and personal gain.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the motives behind this growth seem to simply be money making, but also getting people connected all over the world, in all kind of situations, and at any time; as well as getting more out there of what makes us happy. Yes, social media and virtual worlds are entertaining and intriguing and keep us occupied for hours, but at this rate we are headed towards all digital and technological interaction and involvement. It honestly scares me. I can see how one could enjoy hours upon hours in a virtual world where they have become the person they want to be with a life that they want and enjoy; in reality they may be very dissatisfied with their lot so they use this virtual world as an escape. But as we lean more and more away from in person interaction, sucked into a false reality, I fear people will waste away the real life they were given. Yes times are hard, yes we don’t always get what we want, but I believe we are here to better ourselves and better the world; not indulge our every want and selfish desire. We can’t have a perfect life and always be happy, but we can always take the life we are given and actually live it by joining in society and pushing for a better world, person by person.
-Elizabeth Keck