Senior Citizen Struggles to Compartmentalize Her Second Life from Her Retirement Community Real Life

Last week's post "Only The Young Think The Elderly Want To Live Their Last Years In Virtual Worlds" provoked an intriguing conversation, highlighted by some charming thoughts from Stephanie Meyer, who writes this really helpful new SL user guide blog, and has direct and very personal experience on the topic:

In RL, I am happy to live in a retirement community with many social activities.

In SL, I am happy to be able to explore and create without anyone thinking I'm weird.

In RL, I seldom talk about what I did that day in S, because I have found that it results in a lot of eyeball rolling.

In SL, I am not going to tell anyone about the RL Ice Cream Social with music by the International Philharmonic Ukulele Orchestra.

In a way, I feel compartmented. Just as sometimes I feel a disconnect in SL when changing alts and avatars, in RL I have to remind myself "Everyone act normal".

I'm hoping that by the time I am 100 there will be more integration of the realities.

With online game worlds growing larger and VR headsets getting cheaper every year, I suspect she'll get what she's hoping for soon. In the meantime, you know what they say: Second Life is for people who don't have ukulele-themed ice cream socials in real life.

Picture credit: "My Ukulele" by Susanne Drechsler, who rocks the virtual uke well.

Comments

[Minethere Always]

Recently I've decided to more into a nice assisted living center here in texas, using my laptop it's easier to just play the Sims.

Long live the free metaverse folks!

[JohnC]

Has anyone seen Sanjunipuro, the Black mirror episode. At face value it seems like, yes this is what we want. When I get old I want the choice to go on living in a virtual world where I can be what I want to be, live at a time I want to live, be with people I choose to love, forever! This is basicly the heaven myth, re told for a digital world. Medieval peasants, and medieval minds of or present time, had and have this this extremely childish belief. It makes real life seem bearable for what seems like the vast majority, who's lives are still a form of slavery based on the need for money.
But think about it. All that we as human animals hold dear is only so because of its transitory nature, it's fragility in the face of time. Take away that fragility, and you take all worth with it.
Death is the saviour of love, of worth, of life. But I am sure machine minds will one day achieve it.
But feeling loving creatures will by then be long gone. Be careful of what you wish for. Who want's to live forever.

[Emeraldmist Nightfire]

I am 60+ and can talk more freely about what I do in RL with my SL friends than what I do in SL with RL friends and family. Those closest to me know I'm in SL, they just don't understand it :)

[Deb]

66 content developer 💗 love second life since 2009.