Monday, September 10, 2007
Virtual Conspicuous Consumption
It says a lot about our culture that conspicuous consumption has invaded even our computer fantasy lives. In an article in the New York Times by Shira Boss, author Julian Dibbell says of the game Second Life, "“Second Life is about getting the better clothes and the bigger build and the reputation as a better builder." The article is full of specific examples involving virtual cars, virtual perfume, and so forth. I've never participated in these on-line virtual lives. Does anybody know if religion plays any role in the life of the virtual participants? (Thanks to Instapundit for the tip on this article.)
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The Washington Post had an article on religion in Second Life last June:
Finding Religion in Second Life's Virtual Universe, By Shona Crabtree
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The author says: "Now religion has a growing presence there, too, users say, and religious diversity and participation have skyrocketed since last June, when basic membership to Second Life became free. And just like in real-life churches, mosques and synagogues, there is diversity, debate, schism and, yes, more than a few holier-than-thou types. With some real-life churches taking notice, it's not just for computer geeks, either."
An internet search turned up articles on religion within Second Life in USA Today and MSNBC as well.
I signed up and have used Second Life once or twice; definitely not a regular.
Cheers, Jeff
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