Modeling Reality With Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds can be used to create several types of environments such as social, learning, and work environments. These worlds can be used to make communication more convenient and to introduce another aspect into work/learning as well as communication. An example of this is creating a virtual world for learning, where a student can get learning material through this to learn, read, write and problem solve. Work environments can fulfill projects through virtual worlds making collaborations beyond what is physically and geographically possible. Virtual worlds are also used for social interaction and entertainment such as games shown in the New York Times Article, "No Budget, No Boundaries: It's the Real You" where people spend currency for virtual currency to acquire in-game items to customize their characters/avatars and creations. In CNN article, "iReport: 'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interaction", explains how this program helps take the first steps in helping fight Autism by aiding to make communication easier for those with the condition.
The cons of this are that a virtual world may become a bit too real for some people if they do fail to remember that it is a virtual world. An example of this would be overspending on a virtual world game for customization, prioritizing it over other needs. Another con is virtual worlds leading to a dependency on technology. The pros were mentioned before. It can harbor creativity because a virtual world has far less limits than the physical real world that we live in. Much more is possible in virtual worlds and it is up to the user basically to create and they are no longer without any power to change anything. I think virtual worlds will be more common especially since social media and technology use are on the rise. With the uses as mentioned it is understandable to see why it may have popularity and with time there may be more possible to be done through these virtual worlds which will only make them increasingly present in our lives.