Virtual Worlds

According to virtual worlds review a virtual world also known as "digital world" "is an interactive stimulated environment accessed by multiple users through an online interface." There six common virtual worlds. 1)Shared Space: the world allows many users to participate at once. 2) Graphical User Interface: the world depicts space visually, ranging in style from 2D "cartoon" imagery to more immersive 3D environments. 3) Immediacy: interaction takes place in real time. 4) Interactivity: the world allows users to alter, develop, build, or submit customized content. 5) Persistence: the world's existence continues regardless of whether individual users are logged in. 6) Socialization/Community: the world allows and encourages the formation of in-world social groups like teams, guilds, clubs, cliques, housemates, neighborhoods, etc.

Virtual worlds were created for many different reasons, such as enhancing learning skills, increasing social networking and competing in social markets. In the article "iReport: Naughty Auties' Battles Autism With Virtual Interaction" by Nicole Saidi, she explains how virtual worlds have helped people with autism to increase their social and communication skills. She gives the example of David Savill he says how avatars in 3D-worlds are "the graphical representations of real people create a "comfort zone" that can coax users out of their shells and get them communicating with others".

On the other hand, Dave Itzkoff's article "I've Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life" he believes one of the main goals of digital worlds is to compete in the social networking industry, "For more than two years the channel has been building a collection of Second Life-style virtual reality Web sites with the goal of competing with popular two-dimensional social networks like MySpace and Facebook".

Some of the pros of virtual worlds include: they enhance communication and promote effective learning, learning can become enjoyable and productive. Virtual worlds allow users to expose themselves to the use of 3D environments, enables them to experience sight, sounds and touch in digital realms. Additionally, virtual worlds help patients with illnesses such as autism, cancer, strokes and phobias.

Some cons of virtual worlds are: the high cost, how they decrease real human interaction, and how they can increase a desire in people to escape real life.

I agree that virtual worlds foster creativity because they are out-of -the-box approaches that increase stimulation and learning skills impacting kids especially. They highly connect people socially. I assume that these virtual worlds will be more realistic in the future meaning you will be able to fully immerse in these worlds through the use of high technology, giving you a more complete experience.