Thursday's discussion was addictive!! ;)

Thursday Oct 6, LnL hosted its weekly discussion. The topic was "HELP!! I've fallen and I can't get OUT!! Is SL an addiction?!!". Most replied YES! while some defended that it can become addictive but not necessarily, depending on the personality type. Things like meeting new friends, exploring, creating, becoming who and what ever you wish to be, and yes, organising inventories, that dreaded activity, are some of the aspects that contribute to the many hours residents spend inworld. Some of the consequences of SL being addictive include neglecting the household (although some thought that didn't count!), the family, losing a job, and in a broader sense Real Life. Things are not as simple as this though. Often SL becomes one's RL, for instance in situations of disability or health issues. Can one really draw the line between SL and RL then? The level of immersion is often deliberate and not really an addiction. A bit on the side of the topic at hand, the group discussed SL and how it is portrayed by the media, usually in a negative and incomplete way. As to the time spent inworld, many felt a bit "guilty" about the long hours spent in SL (as a result of judgemental comments by people who are not in SL and who don't know nor understand it?) although others felt they conciliate SL and RL perfectly! The moderator asked the group if we had ever taken a vacation from SL and the answers were quite diverse! Some did without a problem, others "tried" their best not to! Don't we all...!! As a factor contributing to the amount of time spent in SL, an interesting aspect discussed was the fact that many know people who met in SL and ended up establishing a relationship in SL and/or in RL. Related to this, the group moved on to aspects such as giving out personal information or not, the dangers of SL dating, while some specific cases were shared. The discussion ended with a fun question, what were the funniest things you had done in RL that you usually did in SL, for example trying to rotate a static picture? Well, beware, this might be shocking! Some count prims in stores, others mentally try to figure out how many prims were used to build an object, others look at trees and wonder where the amazing textures came from, in RL, yes! This writer is guilty as well...! To conclude, the moderator stated that anything can become an addiction. It is up to us to make the best of all things! For that reason, grab a refreshing drink, enjoy the sunset, call a friend, and when the concert is on, log in and start virtual dancing or sim hopping! In the right proportion, SL is definitively recommended!! Join us next Thursday at 2pm SLT for a new topic with a fun and friendly discussion group!