Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

There is many different ways that virtual worlds can be used. In the virtual world there is good things and bad things about it. The biggest pro in my opinion is that it connects people. Yes, it connects people in virtual reality, but it can translate to a real-life connection between people. People meeting up in real life and can end up becoming friends. An example of this came from the article "I’ve Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life" by Dave Itzoff. In this article it talks about "Virtual Lower East Side" aka VLES. The author talks about his experience from going to club in the Lower East Side to going to the same club just in this new virtual world. While in this virtual world he meet somebody and only a few days later they met each other at a cafe in real life. They would go on to talk about the similarities between VLES and real life interactions. An issue that can be really exposed is the idea of being fake. People enter these virtual world behind a computer screen and create an avatar that can be nothing like them. These people can create a character that is nothing like them and it can end up one of two ways. The fake character can turn into the real life person which can also be good or bad. The other is that it can lower a persons self worth and/or self-esteem and make the person feel like "Why cant I be like this"? Everything has a counter to it. The article "Naughty Auties  battle autism with virtual interaction" by Nicole Saidi it counters my con of self esteem being brought down. This article talks about people with autism using it to help. People with autism sometimes have issues adjusting to society and its norms. Virtual Worlds help them with the adjustment to any real life situation. The way virtual worlds foster creativity is through the world that is made. Is the virtual world accurate to real life or a world of imagination. I think future virtual world wills look the way the world looks at that time. It can also be a world of imagination and a possible prediction of what the world can eventually look like.