Virtual Life

Ever since the first affordable personal computer was built, the PC has been working hard to integrate itself into every area of our lives. Where once computers were massive artifacts, relegated to the geeks in their IT departments, requiring a computer science degree to understand, they have become simple enough for small children to teach their parents how to use.

Adding the World Wide Web and broadband connectivity has only helped to integrate the computer even more fully into our lives. Why, we are surrounded by computers today, with computers on our desks, computers in our phones, computers in our cars and even computers in our appliances. It’s just about to the point where we can access our refrigerator from work, check to see what’s inside it and have our oven start cooking it, all from the comfort of our computer.

With Internet access, you no longer need to even leave your home. You can do your shopping online, check out the movies you want to see, read the books you want to read (do people still read?) and interact with people all over the world. Why, friendships have even been reshaped  by the Internet, now a friend is someone you don’t know, but laugh at their funny photos and comments on Facebook. You can even fall in love, get married and live happily ever-after with someone through your computer; without ever having to see them.

Yes, the avatar has replaced the person. We’re all in the process of becoming little images of who we think we are, whether that has anything to do with who we really are or not. You can now fall in love with a beautiful avatar of the girl of your dreams, without ever knowing who she really is.

Soon, social media will take over people’s lives; they will no longer live a real life, but merely a virtual one. These new people will go to virtual schools, earn money in virtual work, eat virtual food, form virtual relationships and have virtual children. No longer will they need to worry about real life, they can enjoy their virtual one instead.

Let’s just look at virtual jobs as an example. They’re much better than real jobs, because you don’t have to do them all day. You can just show up once in a while, and with a few mouse clicks, you’ve earned your money for the day. Then you can go on a shopping spree to spend that virtual money on virtual stuff. Stop in and visit your virtual girlfriend and take her out for a virtual meal. Since you’re paying for it with virtual money, paint the town, it won’t cost you a cent.

I think the next step down the road towards virtual life is when they start making portable computer packs with the screens in goggles. Then people won’t have to leave their virtual world for anything. As they drive down busy city streets, they can change the scenery to a virtual countryside, populated by elves and unicorns and other fairy-tale creatures.

Just think, you’d never have to deal with an angry boss again. If your boss showed up, you could just delete him. That annoying co-worker could be changed into a cat. The customer who gives you a hard time could be converted to a horse and you could go riding off into the sunset.

Yes, this virtual life has potential. If there ever was a drug for the masses, it’s not cocaine, it’s the virtual world. Forget about having to get away from your problems, you can just get rid of them. Talk about looking at life through rose colored glasses, you can have your virtual glasses show life in any color you want. Ahh, what a life… who would want a real life, when you can have a virtual one?