Over 11 million people currently interact in an online world called Second Life where they are represented as an avatar. The research company Garner predict that by 2011, 80% of the population (and the Fortune 500 companies) will own an avatar, although not necessarily in Second Life.
So what’s the appeal and why are over 160 health groups and medical schools creating a significant presence in this virtual world? First, it’s important to understand the unique capabilities that Seond Life offers. Through the use of an avatar, it is possible to see and communicate with other users as in the real world. Residents can communicate either by voice (VOIP) or by typing via instant messaging and body gestures. Founded in 1999 by San Francisco’s Linden Lab, Second Life also possesses its own economy, and users can purchase Linden Dollars which have an exchange rate with the US dollar. Over $1.5 million US dollars are spent in Second Life each day.
Second Life is ‘open source’, which means that its inhabitants can build and create the world in which they live. They also have access to the coding language on which Second Life is based, which permits abstract concepts and ideas that may be difficult to communicate by the written word or by 2D image to be built and shared by its users in the same virtual space.
In essence, Second Life can serve as a visualisation tool. It has moral and physical laws which users have to agree to abide by on registration. Those users who persistently break this code of conduct can be removed from the world, although some of the physical laws can be broken, for example, it is possible to fly.
However, to really understand the potential of virtual worlds a paradigm shift in the perception of this media is required. Virtual worlds are not ‘games’ but social spaces where ideas can be shared in a completely novel format that facilitates user interaction.
Early growth of virtual worlds was facilitated by industry’s attempts to enter new media markets but healthcare has played a significant role in its evolution. Second Life is increasingly being used by governmental bodies, such as the Centre for Disease Control and educational institutions, including The Department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology at Imperial College London. Scientific communities are also involved including the Nature publishing group and the SciLands, an entire continent devoted to Science and Technology engagement and education.
What’s attracting health professionals?
All this means that, for the first time, medical educators are only limited by their imagination. For example, instead of looking at images of different rashes in a book, it is already feasible for a medical student’s avatar to experience them.Such revolutionary approaches are not limited to professional education. Patient support groups are the largest health users of Second Life because they can talk to each other about their health concerns and learn about certain treatments or procedures before they have to undergo them in real life, for example, a virtual MRI scan.
