Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds can be used to create simulations of different situations people in many different professions may face. For example In the Wall Street Journal article “Avatar II: The Hospital,” Stephanie Simon describes how virtual worlds are used to prepare medical professionals for emergencies. For example, emergency room nurses can be trained to handle a crowded emergency room during an earthquake or a blackout by working through the scenario in a virtual world. The technology fosters creativity by allowing hospitals to create many different virtual situations that can be altered in real time. According to the article, medical schools are also using virtual worlds to train medical students to do techniques they traditionally practice on mannequins. An important benefit of virtual worlds for hospitals and medical schools is that it is a low cost way to train medical professionals. Virtual training is lot less costly for hospitals than hiring actors to play out the scenario. Additionally, each mannequin that medical schools use cost $65,000, while virtual land costs only $1000 and maintenance costs $300 per month. However, there are sometimes issues when it comes to getting a virtual scenario to play out as the creators intended it to. Students also do not have access to an internet connection or they are not used to using a virtual world, so it takes time for them to master the technology. 
            People also use virtual worlds for entertainment. They are able to create an identity and live virtual lives that are very different from their real lives. In the article “No Budget, No Boundaries: It’s the Real You” published in The New York Times, Ruth La Ferla writes that although actual consumer spending decreased during the recession, spending in virtual worlds increased. For example, one user spends $50,000 a month on luxury items in a virtual world. While she is not able live that kind of lifestyle in her real life because of financial hardships, she can easily do it virtually. For many people, virtual worlds offer an escape from their everyday lives where they can live out their fantasies. Aside from buying whatever they want, users can get creative and have their avatars live out any experience they want them to no matter how unrealistic. I think that virtual worlds will evolve to offer more experiences that are wild fantasies to people living now. For example, many people may enjoy seeing very futuristic ideas like flying cars or time travel play out in virtual worlds.

Works Cited
"Avatar II: The Hospital" by Stephanie Simon, The Wall Street Journal, April 13,2010http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909804575124470868041204.html?KEYWORDS=avatar+ii+the+hospital 

“No Budget, No Boundaries: It’s the Real You” by RUTH LA FERLA, the New York Times, Oct 22, 2009 p. E1. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html

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