Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds may be used for a wide range of purposes. One example of this is IBM in their training programs. According to Ed Frauenheim's article, "IBM Learning Programs Get a 'Second Life'," IBM has rolled out employee orientation through virtual worlds. Especially because many younger employees grew up playing video games, a 3D simulation of the office is engaging to this generation and does not seem burdensome. This causes employees to be flexible and creative in their thinking, and take risks they normally would not in person. Globally, employees will have access to mentors all over the world and work with people across the world, seemingly face-to-face. This provides a sense of proximity and fosters relationships. One downside may be that employees do not feel the impact of the consequences of their actions.


Another use of virtual worlds is entertainment. In the article, "No Budget, No Boundaries: It's the Real You," Ruth La Ferla comments on the resistance of virtual economies to real life recessions. Many users curtailed their spending habits in real life while ramping up their purchases on virtual reality games. People may get creative and explore what they want their lives to look like without the constraints of money. If their financial situations improve, they will already have an idea of what a rewarding way to spend their money is versus bad investments. Some pros are that during recessions, people take out their urges to live lavishly in a virtual simulation game rather than go into debt in real life. As reflected in the article, there are several anecdotes of people who trimmed down on their spending in real life while increasing spending virtually. However, one con is that people may get carried away and invest their dreams in a virtual reality site and may not see their efforts paid off in real life.


The future of virtual worlds may take cues from social media, having more of a community aspect to it. In the IBM example, people are already able to interact with other real-life people, increasing the draw of virtual reality. Perhaps in the future, as companies become increasingly global, virtual training programs will become virtual offices in which employees walk over to desks in the London office from New York for a meeting or chat.


Sources:
Frauenheim, Ed. "IBM Learning Programs Get a 'Second Life'." Workforce. 17 December 2006. http://www.workforce.com/articles/ibm-learning-programs-get-a-8216-second-life-8217
La Ferla, Ruth. "No Budget, No Boundaries: It's the Real You." The New York Times. 21 October 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?_r=0