In his book Exodus to the Virtual World, Edward Castronova depicts a future where more and more individuals spend time within a virtual world. Not only will the number of people increase, but the amount of time that they spend within these realities will drastically increase as well. He notes that as the number of individuals increases it no longer becomes a problem that afflicts a small percentage of the population, but rather all of us. Castronova argues that the mental stimulation and “fun” within these worlds makes them much more appealing than the world around us may sometime seem.
Now for some of us, this may seem like an odd statement. How can anyone survive spending all of their time sitting at a console? Castronova notes that “it does take much to support a human body at a level sufficient to allow the mind to live synthetically. A room, a bed, a computer, Internet, some food, a toilet” (13). The hallucination that the game creates is becoming so good that our minds are willing to spend hours and hours there apart from the world that we actually reside in.
Now, many still can’t imagine living cramped in a small room all day looking endlessly into a flickering screen. They feel that their physical needs for exercise and exertion cannot be satisfied by these kinds of experiences. Castronova counters this idea by saying that “you have to exercise strenuously in some video games, and […] they are radically transforming daily life” (30-31). “Interface devices that rely on gross motor skills have already been released. […] Game attachments to treadmills and exercise bikes are a natural adaptation” (54).
Now, while his evidence supports that fact that a point will come where the simulation will become so great that everyone will wish to spend most of their time there, I still feel that there is still a broad section of our population that will not partake in these games. Some people cannot get over the need to play actual sports, enjoy the real outdoor, or have face to face companionship. They may deem that these simulations as noteworthy alternatives for some, but they will never suffice for them. I feel this is how many today feel about this issue. Time will only tell if the next generation possesses a similar attitude, or if they will abandon the world of carbon for that of silicone.
I'm one of those folks who still needs the outside world. I could play a few hours in a really compelling game, but that would be about my endurance.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder, however, how so many office workers spend endless hours massaging mice and keyboards? Rarely are they being all that creative (the only thing that keeps me seated, some days). Would it be possible to restructure office work with elements of gaming, to make all that chair time "fun" to do?
This is the flip-side of Castronova's speculation.
I agree with you that not everyone is going to want to migrate to the virtual, even if the simulation becomes as real as the, well, real. I think that many will not be able to just give up their physical selves for a psuedophysical virtual one.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it would almost be like an amputation. We would have to give up our physical selves so that we could be virtual, much like an amputee gives up a limb in order to save the rest of the body. No one would ever want to have this done to them unless it was absolutely necessary, and some still would not want it done. Is it absolutely necessary to be virtual? No, not yet.
It is a crucial point that the "physical needs for exercise and exertion cannot be satisfied by these kinds of experiences". There are occasional days where I am feeling tired and lazy and will watch TV or mess around on the computer for hours. After only a few hours of this vegetative lifestyle the screen becomes a kind of psychological torture and the room feels stuffy and cramped. I go stir-crazy; I need to get up and move, go for a drive, or get the heck out of the room.
ReplyDeleteI just can't imagine a long term migration to virtual worlds. I don't think it is in human nature for us to sit still. Great post and excellent counterargument for Castranova.
I agree with Jeff. Unless virtual worlds come with drugs to numb us we get stir crazy.
ReplyDeleteThere's a great 1965 novel about that: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch that I may teach in Eng. 216:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Stigmata_of_Palmer_Eldritch