SL is Social Media

SecondLife is about Community. 

It’s about the people. 

That’s what makes it the special place it is. 

“I don't think sl is only a game, 

you laugh, you talk or you meet with only beautiful people all around the world, 

sometimes sl can be bad and make your heart crying. 

At this moment you feel it's time to leave.” 

misskike 

VR is Social Media 

We describe Fakebook Instagram TikTok Twitter as social media platforms. The word platform is relevant to use here. The interaction the interface with these platforms is scrolling. We have a phrase, ‘Doomscrolling’, for people who become mindlessly addicted to enacting that ritualistic behaviour. The word scrolling is relevant here.

All of those platforms are two dimensional. Describing them as two dimensional platform scrolling is relevant. The only thing we describe as two dimensional platform scroll is a specific sort of video game.

In video games we have a thing called the ‘multimedia online role-playing game’. These are games where multiple human users can interact inside the same game environment both in real-time and by use of leaving messages as a bulletin board. 

It is legitimate therefore to describe social media as a 2D platform scrolling MMORPG. That people do it for entertainment tags ‘game’ onto that description. 

It is critical to understand this, that ‘game’ is added because people use it for entertainment.

How many people describe their social media interaction as playing a video game? 

People who use it for many purposes including business and education and primarily for socialising reject that as an inaccurate description. That it is a multimedia environment involves awareness of how it can be simultaneously used for multiple purposes. 

The next point of awareness is about VR virtual reality environments. 

I’m not referring to the headset interface, which is not a virtual reality. It is an interface, a hardware tool in the same way that your game controller is not the environment, it is the interface. The car keys are not the vehicle is not the road. 

The virtual reality is the digital environment you experience. It is a platform. 

It is not scrolling, because it is 3D. In the case of SecondLife and similar platforms, it is multiple human users. 

Therefore by the same rationale we reject using ‘game’ as an accurate descriptor for 2D social media platforms, logically we should assign the same standard to 3D social media platforms. To fail to do so is a cognitive bias resultant in a form of prejudice. 

SecondLife and other 3D social media platforms are no more games than are the 2D social media platforms, Fakebook Instagram TikTok Twitter and their ilk. 

People do use them to play games within that environment the way people may enjoy Chess or Royal Ur in the real life environment without referring to all of real life as a game. I’m sure you have heard people explain it that way too. 

Next up is game theory. Wherever you get people you get social games subject to game theory. It is inevitable in most social interactions. We see it repeatedly highlighted as a key characteristic feature both of real life and cross-platform internet culture. 

The go-to resource on Game Theory is in my professional opinion Dr Eric Berne in his wonderful book on Transactional Analysis called The Games People Play. It concludes with a studied observation that “successful people don’t play games”. 

V on the topic of

SL IS NOT A GAME 

V: “There is an artist who has an amazing digital exhibition here in sl somewhere. His work is amazing.”

snakeappletree: “I'm interested, I would like to see the exhibition.”

V: “And he became so well known but with his SL name. It is so wrong that SL started as a game for people who wanted to hide in here. It is so confusing for RL artists”

snakeappletree: “Do you believe SL is a game, or more than a game?”

V: “I think SL is a digital space. Like FB but 3D.”

snakeappletree: “Yes!”

V: “And far more complicated, like in FB.”

snakeappletree: “I describe it as VR social media.”

V: “Someone might have a fake account here as well. He might become someone else and live a second life. It started with the title second life.”

snakeappletree: “In SL they are called alt accounts, it is a part of the culture here. In FB they hate it.”

V: “Yes. In here people think it is normal to write in their rl info 'please respect me no more info here'.”

snakeappletree: “We have more freedom here (in SL). Such place is necessary.”

V: “So I think it is both a game and a social media platform. To me it is a little confusing. I'm not very interested in the game aspect of SL. :) I prefer to know who I am talking to.”

snakeappletree: “It is a versatile place, with many uses.”

V: “If someone becomes a permanent person in my SL life I want to know them in reality too. So I do that.”

snakeappletree: “That makes sense. For some people it is like this. For others perhaps better to remain anonymous.”

V: “But there are also people who are very secretive. I met a person like that.”

snakeappletree: “My tag snakeappletree is my internet identity, I use it all over the internet.”

V: “I wanted to cooperate with him on a project here or even to hire him in RL because he is excellent at something I need.”

snakeappletree: “Yes.”

V: “But I can only find him in here. So this makes its difficult."

snakeappletree: “You will have to ask him in here.”

V: “I asked him but if I have to enter here to see if he is inworld it makes it impossible for me to plan something.”

snakeappletree: “Was he happy to help? To get to know you outside of SL ?”

V: “No. He wants to keep anonymity.”

The Cyclical Argument Of Real Life Gamers 

Following, is the same conversation I have had with a lot of people IRL (‘in real life’) who don’t do SL but know I am into it. 

Bias: “Isn’t it a game, though?” Perhaps authentic misperception. 

Me: "No it’s not a game. SL is a VR social media platform.” In defence of my experiences of SL.

Bias: “No but it’s a game.” Voice of oppositional defiancy disorder. 

Me: “How would you know if you haven’t explored it?” Voice of applied logic. 

Bias: “It’s a game.” Cyclical argument ad infinitum.

 ‘No but’ means ‘I’m an argumentative fool trying to play a power game with you.’ 

Ain’t got time for that.