Virtual Worlds

A Virtual World is a platform simulated environment. A video game is perhaps the best example of a virtual reality. Some of the most popular virtual worlds are MMORPG's or Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, such as World of Warcraft or Minecraft. Although not all video games are a simulation of a realistic environment, such as Pac Man or Tetris, they too can be seen as a virtual reality. The player immerses themselves into a reality that does not exist in a physical medium, but rather from pixels on a glass screen. And better yet, a virtual world does not have to come in the form of a video game; such as helicopter simulations.

Virtual worlds can be utilized in many different ways, not just for entertainment purposes. In Stephanie Simon's article Avatar II: The Hospital, young professionals are exposed to a different type of training. Future doctors and nurses are put into a simulated virtual world, an event is then triggered, and from here, the participants will witness a somewhat first handed experience. They can now use their own judgement to alleviate the situation to the best of their abilities. This "fire drill" technique gives future employees  a chance to be more well equipped if a situation like this were to occur in real life. Instead of having to adapt on the fly and commit major mistakes, workers can be more prepared.

The pros of virtual worlds are limitless: it promotes innovation, socially connects the community together, envisions learning, strives as a source of entertainment, trains our muscle memories and much more! As the world is gearing towards a more and more new social media revolved atmosphere, children are being more and more exposed to virtual worlds. In the article  After Second Life, Can Virtual Worlds Get a Reboot?, Diane Mehta mentions that the world renowned virtual reality "Minecraft" is a place that fosters creativity. Users aren't just interacting with one another, they are looking into boundless possibilities of constructing new designs. It is a virtual world that encompasses creativity at its finest- starting with just pixel Lego blocks, players create their own realm of architectural fantasies.

Of course, nothing comes without drawbacks. Cons of virtual worlds include the many recent events and ongoing incidents of massive obsessions and extreme levels of addiction. There have been too many cases in which people can not control themselves and get in the way of harming others because these virtual worlds were taken from them. Teenagers murdering their parents because they took away an XBOX gaming console, etc... If people knew their limitations on how far they go and use some self control on their addictions, then virtual world would not have such a negative light shed upon it.

I believe that virtual world is going to achieve new heights in the near future. Virtual reality and 3D reality might become the next big thing; where a user wears a device and sees, tastes, smells, hears and feels through a different dimension. They will literally be immersed in another world, with the device "hypnotizing" their observable senses and perception of what's reality and what's not. Google glass is somewhat the first level of this virtual reality, although they are still in the early development stages.