Baroness Worries Metaverse May Interfere With Sex
by Pixeleen Mistral on 23/06/07 at 11:13 am
Telephones and television not currently a threat
by Onder Skall, Mainstream Media Desk
The Telegraph alerts us to dangers of excess sexiness in Second Life. Baroness Susan Greenfield (her real name), director of the Royal Institution, thinks that Second Life could replace dating in the real world. “Could it be that in the future they will say, ‘A real relationship! Urgh, how horrible,’ ” she said.
Baroness Susan Greenfield worries about your brain on Second Life
She’s not the only one who thinks that Second Life could lead to a world filled with people uninterested in going out and finding someone to have sex with on a regular basis. Prof Richard Dawkins, author of the best-selling The God Delusion, said he considered one scenario where people inhabited Second Life so much “they hardly know they are in an outside world”.
By the gods! This “could lead” to the end of humanity as we know it. [with online SL users topping out at 35,000, I think humanity is safe for now - Editrix]
For those of you interested in a writing career, or if you’d like to become regarded as “authorities” some day, this is a powerful lesson. Don’t ever say “this is what is happening.” You need to provide proof in a situation like that, or at least one isolated extreme example. It’s too much hassle.
Rather, ask “could it be that this will happen?” Not only do you get to imply that it IS happening, thus giving others an excuse to act like jackasses, but you don’t have to worry about pesky things like “facts” or even the likelihood that anything you say has anything to do with planet Earth. Plus, when you say you hate something popular, you get to look like a “lateral thinker”!
Lewis Nerd
Jun 23rd, 2007
With her looks, I don’t think she needs to worry about a real relationship, let alone a Second Life one.
Lewis
Lem Skall
Jun 23rd, 2007
Oh my, someone somewhere said something negative about SL! We have to get up in arms and make it clear how wrong they are and ridicule them so that no one will ever listen to what they say.
There are so many predictions on the future of SL. Some are positive and some are negative. Most of the predictions will end up being wrong, from BOTH sides. But we are so eager to accept one side or the other based on what our personal view is on the subject.
PS: someone somewhere said something negative about someone somewhere who said something negative about SL. I had to get up in arms and make it clear how wrong he is and ridicule him so that no one will ever listen to what he says.
Yeah, I know, it’s ironic.
Morgana Fillion
Jun 23rd, 2007
*yawn* Recycled the-sky-is-falling scenarios that have been filler pieces since the advent of modem use.
The only change I’ve seen is that more people find their relationships from a wider pool than their local community, which means that some who are, for whatever reason, not likely to easily find a relationship (too busy, too shy, too whatever) are meeting people and eventually getting together. I’ve heard from so many people that their relationship started out online, that the admission barely raises eyebrows anymore.
But, yep! Such articles fills the need for a few paragraphs of fluff while sounding ‘timely.’
janeforyou Barbara
Jun 23rd, 2007
@Baroness Susan Greenfield -Greetings you hightness!
It is the other way round tho.Secondlife “spices up” your sexlife and i know there are many that found there real life partners in Secondlife.Many users in Secondlife also got problems with there sexlifes RL and thay may get help in here, thay also may learn some on how to behave, how to repeckt others. I dont think there are many women in Secondlife that got problems with there sexlife,, there ae a few tho. Its Men that need more help, you can se this in the way thay behave.I seen a lot of men running round desperate with there fake “cocks” in Adult places asking for a “Fun time” This men need to learn to behave, its not the way to do it
And serius,,, i dont think a “prim” ( avatar) can ever replace RL sexlife…BUT….think of them that are unable for many reasons to not have what we call” a normal sexlife” i know a few users in SL that are handicaped and thay get a good “simulated” sexlife in SL…and for your information…your sexlife fellings are in your brain…not between your leggs.
There are also many “gay” communeties in SL..remember its still a “taboo” in many places in the world to be gay girl or gay male..Secondlife can be a help for many GLBT
( Gay/Lebian/Bi/Transgender) This days are Pride days round in the world and also in Secondlife.
Regards
The Empress Of Lesbos
Coincidental Avatar
Jun 23rd, 2007
It is very hard – to stay over 3 months in SL because the in-world is so dull. To be interested in the poseball animations for an extended period, one needs to be rather perverted.
>”Offering people the chance to have a permanent soap opera going on, in which they can participate, will be even more pervasive than reality TV such as Big Brother.
LOL. But is it really worse than watching TV?
The Telegraph reveals “scientific” rat tests conducted on avatars:
>His [Prof Richard Dawkins] publisher bought an island in the virtual world in which its authors could “connect” with residents. “I have been in there myself as an avatar, incognito,” he said, adding that Second Life offered intriguing new opportunities for sociological research.
What did he like the sex?
By the way, have you noticed how much RL resembles reality TV series? Isn’t it amazing!
qDot
Jun 23rd, 2007
Hey! No fair! They’re stealing my mad scientist ideas!
Humphrey Ride
Jun 23rd, 2007
She’s hot – I’d hit it!
anon
Jun 23rd, 2007
Depending on where you reside, and what your situation is with finding the right people (marriage/divorce) etc.. Here in the US the divorce rate is well over fifty percent in RL. There are plenty of nuts to go around. My believe is this, if you find better results in 3D, then that says quite a bit about the state of domestic affairs. My opinion is, if the relationship
is better online than real life.. so be it. Maybe she should look at real world statistics.
Jessica Holyoke
Jun 23rd, 2007
I think Heidi Fleiss said it best, and I’m paraphrasing but wanted to attribute properly, no matter how virtual we get with the sexuality of our minds, nothing will replace human touch. I can see my avatar kiss, but that won’t replace feeling someone kiss me back.
LOL DONGS
Jun 24th, 2007
You people are pathetic. Watching two blocky avatars have jerky, poorly animated sex is not A REAL RELATIONSHIP. That Hyena with 6 breasts, a vagina, and a large dog penis may be get you off, but in reality its still your right hand doing all the work, sorry to break it to you. Leave your houses. Go to a bar or a starbucks, AND TALK TO SOMETHING THAT DOESNT HAVE THE WORD YIFF IN ITS NAME. It will do you good. Psychiatrists and mental healh professionals have been warning us about virtual interaction like this for years. I didn’t believe it at first either, but after spending time in SL, especially the furry/sex sims, I’ve changed my mind. You people do have a problem if you choose a relationship in a game that isnt real over one in real life. Think about it. Which really matters? A game, or your Life?
janeforyou Barbara
Jun 24th, 2007
@LOL DONGS
Yes,it takes some time to learn how to play this games,,it can be addictive and take time off RL life time.i am a Psychiatrists and mental healh professional,and i helped and learned many over the last 7 yares oline how to handle this games/communeties.
But yes,i have also fallen in to the time/sex trapp it can be if you dont learn and understand that SL and any other place 3D and with roles are ” fake” that is why its named” Secondlife”
Its not the real life, but many live them self so hard in to it that thay ” become” the avatar..and thats the danger,i think its bout beeing mature and se all as what it are.
For a adult person that are openminded and mature there are usly no problems, but it can be a problem with a teenager in this 3D games online or in ny PC games or xbox or PS2 games, its well known that shooting games can trigger RL shooting, many games are mature 18 limit, but we all know its easy for any kid to get it.
If you got a problem with the game and the roles in SL or any other place you just need to take a brake from it,, think over what you do and then decide if you realy want to play.Some ppl like to read,,some like to look at mocies,, some like to walk in the wood,, and some like to play 3D games….we are all different
Petey
Jun 24th, 2007
Nice post Pix
Coincidental Avatar
Jun 24th, 2007
I’ve heard that in the place called RL people fake often too. And are addicted. Somebody implied that they don’t. I’m confused. I’m no more sure if I should try the RL. Is it healthy and safe?
not lewis
Jun 25th, 2007
She looks like she could suck the chrome of a trailer hitch.
Gorean Furry
Jun 25th, 2007
>its well known that shooting games can trigger RL shooting
It’s well known that RL shootings are committed by people who are way fucked in the head. Violent video games or not.
ginseng.kyong
Jun 25th, 2007
“Could it be that in the future they will say, ‘A real relationship! Urgh, how horrible,’ ” she said.
That is a real crazy thing to think, more crazy to say. People are not so one dimensional. Plus we are talking about sex. Real sex! One of the whole reasons SL works is because people are driven by there hormons and a desire for real sex. Plus put a picture of an SL woman and a RL woman next to each other, the cartoon woman does nothing for me, the real woman.. wow, I like.
shockwave yareach
Jun 25th, 2007
RL is that game you play when SL is down.
Now I grant, we have to play RL a lot. Can’t be helped with the current state of technology. And yes, RL has lots of problems. There are criminals who are out to steal all your hard-earned dollars and inventory items. Sometimes they are brutal and violent, threatening the equivalent of a permaban to your RL account. (Usually the latter is phrased in terms of opening a beer in your head.) There are bugs in the program which cause tornadoes and hurricanes — to name two of the phenomena — that repeatedly destroy people’s inventories all over the current populated Planetverse.
Relationships in RL are very dangerous, and unlike SL, there are dozens of kinds. There are the fleeting ones at the bar. There are the terminated relationship with your spouse, usually terminated because of the earlier fleeting one. There’s the permanent ones with family who you can’t get rid of no matter what you try. There’s the business relationship with people you don’t even like, but have to put up with if you want to keep this great game going. There are the friends who aren’t around when you need them, but are quick to come to you whenever they need something.
All these stresses lead one to dangerous pasttimes, like booze, sex and drugs. All will take the stress of the game away for a short time. But each has its own dangers and drawbacks. Booze and drugs will get you in trouble with another unwanted relationship — law enforcement. And sex is harder to acquire in RL than it is in SL. It is also far more dangerous; there are RL sex transmitted diseases that will make your penis turn into a cube, fade to black and fall off. This may not be that big a deal in SL, but penises in RL aren’t designed to do that. Nor are they designed to be reattached.
If you wonder why we bother to play this stupid game when there are so many problems with it, then join the club. I’ve been wondering why I bother to work so hard and pour so much energy into RL when it really doesn’t mean anything. What’s the point? It’s not like any of us can level up or anything. So while you are stuck playing this boring RL, remember that the fun and interesting SL will be back again soon. Keep on slogging through the poor graphics and lame physics (Can’t even fly!) of RL until the SL comes back online again. Show patience and you will be able to log in again and claim your reward soon.
Erik
Jun 26th, 2007
I don’t think Second Life is going to replace real life interactions anytime soon. I think people are going to discover that doing double mortgages just to buy things that don’t really exist isn’t the way to go. Could it be the start of a sub-culture of people who really don’t interact with the rest of us? Possibly…
Maria Leveaux
Aug 26th, 2007
Ok, the Planet currently hosts a population of somewhere about 6 Billion persons, Don’t you think there just MIGHT be an Up-Side to Cutting back the number of people having sex?
More world wide distribution might actually lead to a levelling off of the population growth, and allow us to Catch up a Bit on Feeding the ones we already have.
Being a bit facecious here, but Honestly, the numbers of people Inclined to Completely replace RL dating with an on line alternative are Incredibly small. I don’t think the gene pool is about to take a massive hit from On Line Dating.
The Baroness has hit on one of the basic principles of fame, “Say something Outrageously controversial, and get yourself talked about, Factual Data Optional”. Her claims are enough to get her some additional ink for a few weeks, but they don’t reflect reality at all.
Angel.