Away From Second Life

Recent changes in RL routine and work schedules keep me away from SL these days. I have told a few friends in SL that I will be away for quite some time, not exactly because I am waxing sentimental, but because recent global events (you know, natural disasters like earthquakes, uprisings, nuclear crisis and such) have made me quite of a paranoid.

When you have established some form of friendships in the virtual world, you will find that it is harder to keep track of their safety. Think Japan tragedy. I have a number of Japanese friends in SL and I honestly was so worried about them that I was overjoyed to see them get back online.

At any rate, I remember talking to a friend in-world about the amount of time most people spend in Second Life. I came across a few interesting articles about Second Life addiction. No, I do not wish to pass any judgment on people who spend hours in SL. Certainly people have various reasons for doing so, and definitely NOT ALL of these people are sad. I am quite sure that in spite of the statistics, NOT ALL people in SL are depressed. (Many are, but it will not be fair to generalize.)

The issue of Second Life addiction crossed my mind recently because I am presently spending my “away time” from SL, and I wonder how other people fare in keeping themselves off the virtual world. For me, it is quite easy to do this. Why is that?

The idea is to have many various things to do in RL. I quote these symptoms from a related post. (Read the entire article HERE.)

SYMPTOMS of SECOND LIFE ADDICTION

Psychological Symptoms

Having a sense of well-being or euphoria while playing SL
Difficulty to stop the activity
Craving more and more time at the computer
Neglect of friends and family
Feeling empty, depressed, irritable when not in Second Life
Lying to family  and employees about SL
Problems with job or school

Physical Symptoms

Headaches
Backaches
Eating irregularities
Failure to attend to personal hygiene
Sleep disturbances

Ever have any of these?^^

If you think you have been spending a lot of time in-world (like more than 12 hours a day), I seriously suggest learning a new hobby, or add a little more dimension to your RL, like running or taking photos. 🙂

There is no need to be too rash. It would be too radical to quit SL; it would not be wise, really. Emotions and values of loyalty and fealty do exist and are valid values in SL. Some friendships in SL are actually genuine and I believe in this – frankly, my friends are my biggest reasons for staying on in SL.

My take on the issue of SL addiction is, I am for anything that adds dimension to life, and anything that drags your life and relationships down … should not be encouraged.

See you all soon in-world. 😉

Another website of interest HERE.