How Do You Spend Your Time in Second Life?

The lives of all people flow through time, and, regardless of how brutal one moment may be, how filled with grief or pain or fear, time flows through all lives equally.

Orson Scott Card, Children of the Mind  

         

          Recently, I got to thinking about how I pass my time in Second Life (SL). 

          (Significant Other remarks that maybe I should think more about Real Life (RL).)

          I compared what I did inworld to what I did in RL.

          (Significant Other did not view this as a satisfactory compromise.) 

          I realized that, yes, how I spend my time in RL is of more substance and consequence to what I do in RL.  (Significant Other looks relieved.) However, there are more than a few similarities.  

          All this got me thinking about all the others who visit SL regularly.  How do they spend

their time while inworld?  

          There are several main activities that people engage in while inworld, I’ve found during my travels in over five plus years of blogging about SL.  Let me share these with you. 

          First, there are the social reasons.  

          People come inworld to meet other people and to hang out.  They do these either as lone wanderers or in groups.  Sometimes traveling across the Grid like I do or staying in one place with one community.  

          Next, there are cultural reasons.  

          These are for those who are inworld for art, music, or fashion.  Sometimes for all these reasons.  

          Then, there are the technical reasons.  

          Scripters, builders, and those who subscribe to the original “hacker” ethic fall into this category.  

          Faith based reasons are the next group.  

          Here people form congregations for pray and meditation.  Often, support for RL needs

is provided as well.  

          Finally, there are business reasons.

          Folks come inworld to run commercial activities.  Admittedly, I haven’t met many who’ve made much RL money at it but there are many shops and other activities going on inworld.  Somebody’s happy!  

          Of course, then there’s the context of why all these activities are taking place inworld.

          For some, it’s simple role playing.  For others, it’s an extension of RL.  Or, as simple as a hobby that’s being conducted virtually.  Then, there are those seeking relationships inworld.  These can be mere friendship, romantic, or sexual in nature.  (Significant Other’s eyebrows arch.)  

          We all come to SL for many reasons.  There may be a reason for every visitor even.  SL complements RL for many.  I’m realizing the increasing importance of community inworld and this may have been one of the unintended, and most beneficial, consequences of SL. 

          How do you spend your time in SL?

          Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this story or drop me a line and let’s meet up inworld to chat about your reasons!   

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives!  

          My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!