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 * Insecurities and Limitations of Freedom That Extend From Real World Into the Virtual**

**Part I: Introduction** Insecurities plague the world and its inhabitants each day. These insecurities are then amplified when limitations are placed upon individuals that prevent or halter the confrontation of these uncertainties. These anxieties can be found in many facets; economic, material, social, ethnic, and any other subsection or division of life. Each of which attack a person in a different manner, and are thus handled differently as well. While in real life a person cannot run away from these anxieties, they should be able to in a virtual world. In a world where there is as Milton Friedman calls it a “blank slate” one would think that the world which would be created would be free of these limitations and free of these insecurities. However, once a person logs onto Second Life and becomes an inhabitant of this co-existing world it becomes obvious that these confines transcend from the real world into the virtual. Both consciously or subconsciously creators of this second existence, as well as individual islands within cater to an individual’s insecurities and instead of assisting them in facing and conquering them they again limit their freedom in a similar way as in reality. What constitutes as insecurity? Insecurity is anything that makes a person doubt themselves or their environment. Both men and women deal with physical issues that bother them be it the question of weight, physical attraction, hair color or thinning neither sex is excused from issues of body image. Economically money is always a major worry, is there enough, can they support themselves, do people know that there is a tight crunch, Jude from down the street has a larger house maybe I should move into one that’s larger to show my wealth. Coinsiding with this are the material insecurities that surround the world. Money and economic standards are not the only stipend to this-clothing labels, jewelry, cars owned, house size, animals, as well as any other worldly possessions. Socially the economic divisions as well as materialistic values divide classes which are then subdivided into racial categories with associated stereotypes. Out of the above Second Life incorporates three out of the four into its virtual world. Limitations are found in this virtual world not in the form of saying a person is what they are initially created as and cannot alter it from that point on, but in a sense that there inhibitors are placed on what they can alter themselves as. Also when visiting islands throughout Second Life, there are objects which cannot be used, cannot be bought without certain amounts of Lindon Dollars, and have no real use other than for looks. Also, freedom is limited when crossing certain barriers; buildings cannot be entered, invisible lines that cannot be crossed are evident, certain places have a list resembling a VIP club, and in essence this “blank slate” has been constructed to deprive to whom it is supposed to free.
 * Part II: Background**

According to Ted Norhouse and Michael Shekenburger in Break Through, globalization and the post industrial economy are causes for the rampid insecurity among Americans. When production began to increase with the introduction of the assembly line, mass marketing, and demand for employment with low wages, easier trade, and overall mass production the American economy became industrialized. When these the world as a whole became just as industrialized and more items began to be exported as well as imported the American economy became globalized. According to //Breakthrough//, this new found wealth deriving from the industrial age as well as globalization “brought outstanding downsizing and instability” and that “Americans have seen their wealth and spending power rise, but they have also become more increasingly insecure in terms of their employment, retirement, health care and community.” They continue by using the example of the Great Depression. During this time in the United States, over one third of the Nation’s poverty stricken nation searched for food along the streets, in the trash, or in soup kitchen lines. However in present day while the poor are still indeed poor instead of begging they show off or overcompensate for wealth they do not have. Basically people who cannot afford rent or their electric bills will buy a brand new car, just to drive around and show it off. This is what Norhouse and Sheckenberger call insecure Affluence. This insecure affluence, this overcompensation for items that are out of want not necessity is in essence “creating new identities for selves that were previously unimaginable.” These new identities are exactly what Second Life permits people to create. Except within these new identities the real world is carried over and insecure affluence continues to exist.  Second Life is primarily created for the current generation, the age of technology. The reasons for why this insecurity stretched into virtual reality may reside in that very fact. Insecurity when defined in terms of economy began to rise during the middle of the 1970’s. This rise resulted in the action of overcompensating and insecure affluence, and thus the move from inner focused values of defined virtues to the more outer values of wealth and material values. Because of this outward turn people in the United States born between the years 1977 and 1989 are more status oriented than that of their parents. What other than the globalization and industrial revolution can this be blamed upon? The fact is that the income of a middle class family rose nearly one-hundred percent between the years of 1948 and 1973. This trend did not continue, however. Children who had grown up during these years of prosperity now were facing economic struggle when between 1973 and 1993 the income increased a measly seven percent. This is including the increase in the number of women joining the workforce and supplementing the family income, and in actuality the average weekly income per household dropped by over one hundred 2004 dollars from 1973 to 1993. When these children grew into adulthood and entered into the workforce they were not able to live the lifestyle in which they saw their parents live and in turn expected for them to live. Because of this, this generation began to suffer from insecure affluence by pretending to have what they could not afford, and thus creating an alternate identity from what was reality. Other insecurities involve the obvious in body image and actions. No one is exempt in questioning their physical appearance. Even those that seem the most confident, those who have exceptional physiques, struggle with this. It can be assumed that no one has ever questioned their appearance. Those that do have picture perfect bodies, had to work to get them, and what do you think inspired them to work on it? They were motivated by the unhappiness with their previous form. Who has not heard of the saying “Actions speak louder than words”? However why do some people chose to or not to do certain actions? The possible answer for this could be that a person is afraid of the repercussions from their action. Or that they are completely secure in what they are indeed doing and thus have no fear in completing it. People hold back in voicing their opinions for fear of what people will say to contradict them or how their peers’ views of them will change. In Second Life this can all be altered, for no one knows who one avatar is from another, nor are the chances large that two will ever meet in real life situations.  This translates into the Second Life world, because as a person who was indeed born between the years of 1977 and 1989 the idea of overcompensating drives home a point, and recognizing it in Second Life is also easy to do. There are large homes, extreme clothing and cars, indeed animals can be purchased, and a new life body and all can be bought and molded into whatever one wants it to be. In Second Life I went to a random selection of islands and walked around to find what could be translated into insecurity of this form, and thus how it can be interpreted as to what it means for real life securities to be merged into virtual reality.
 * Part III: Research**

 The research done was completely observational, and the assumptions derived were done so through the observations made as well as comparable examples from the virtual world. Each Island visited provided insight to the topic in which was being analyzed, which then provided data as to hoe real world insecurities transcend into the virtual world and how an avatar is limited in similar ways as the real world. In all eighty-four pictures were taken in order to analyze with the Second Life world. Each pertains to a specific issue of insecurity and limited freedom.
 * Part IV: Observations and Data Collected**

Firstly the issue of freedom is to be looked at. In this society where there is a “blank slate” where essentially an open and free land is set up-then why is there limitations and lack of freedom? S ights pertaining to the Presidential candidates were visited, as it was thought this would provide a good compare and contrast opportunity. Visiting these sites with such similar subjects was excellent for noting the freedom given to owners of an island or of a plot of land when it comes to building a virtual society. Of the sites visited belonging to Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton Ron Paul as well as a site dedicated to the ridicule of all candidates a perfect scene was established in which to test the limitations of the virtual world. In both Obama and Clinton’s islands the creator has posted the top debated topics, while Paul’s had none. However Clinton only had eight platform topics while Obama had twelve. What the significance of this is is that the creators of both sites had the opportunity to choose what they would like to publish as well as support their candidate by initially owning the candidates’ campaign island. While this freedom to create the island in whatever fashion they wished-they were also given the power to limit the actions of those who visited the island. On Clinton’s island I came across a barrier on the second step of a staircase that seemed only to lead to a stone courtyard. On Obama’s site doors would not open to rooms that had been blocked off. Cameras were set up only to prove to be non-functioning and there for show, a dog slept on the floor of one of the rooms that did not move another “for show only” object. Ron Paul’s site had a road that just dead ended into oblivion, with signs that said “under construction”. All of these limitations indicate the power select individuals are given over a supposedly “free” society.

 The site which was dedicated to the ridicule of the candidate proved to be most enlightening. On this island no political party was safe, nor were other major world leaders. While walking the island and spending roughly two hours perusing, I found no mention of a creator. What was found was characatures of the candidates in compromising positions, bashing of President George W. Bush’s policies-even having a public colonoscopy and a public sperm bank for the now resigned candidate Hukabee. The blatant opinions of the person who created this site were done so while hiding their identity, or their avatar’s identity. It can be assumed that if a person were to be in this situation where they had strong political views they could demonstrate them to the world without fear of being discovered. Thus while having complete freedom to say what they wish without fear of consequences, out of concern for backlash they hide their names-in essence they are insecure about their viewpoints. Even if this is not the case for this island, and indeed the creator just hid or forgot to mention their name, it can be noted that if the worry was in true form the Second Life world would be a perfect source to proclaim views in a world where no one can counterattack.  Also on almost every island visited one can find symbols of the real world. Of those found were memorials to the fallen victims of the twin towers on September eleventh, Big Ben, The Statue of Liberty, the London Underground railway system, as well as a small New England town. These symbols have relayed into the virtual world via their creators. As Wendall Berry in //The Unsettling of America// says throughout his book, people must have a connection with the land. This connection is with what you consider home. While he describes this connection as a physical one with tilling and planting of the lands, it can also be interpreted that one views “home” and comfort as all that surrounds them. People are transitioning these sights into the virtual world. In a world that they could create anything, build anything they wish; they incorporate that which they already have thus setting ground for the beginnings of limitations. They have brought in the restrictions of the real world by first initiating the building of an object that directly ties in the world which people are trying to escape.

 Actions are a direct link between freedoms of the virtual world versus the real. In Second Life ones actions has little affect on views of other, in fact in Second Life if not limited by the creator or money one has no constraints on their actions. In this my personal actions can be compared. One of the islands visited was that of the Pimp Shack Island. On this island the actions were what you would almost expect them to be, there was indeed a pimp shack and people basically participating in one big orgy. In the pimp shack orgy room I ended up pole dancing one of many poles set up in the room. All around were men and women, most of which naked, engaging in similar activities. Something I would have not done in real world I was able to do in the virtual for the simple fact that no one knew me, thus there would be no repercussions for my actions. Likewise other avatars escape the reality of their actions and the consequences derived from them by entering into the Second Life. Thus they are running from their insecurities in one world in order to fulfill them in another.  Economic insecurities are also evident in the Second Life world. What //Breakthrough// defined as insecure affluence is found throughout the virtual world. A person can dance on a black dot for two Lindon Dollars, the currency of Second Life. Or, someone can take surveys for ten to fifteen, and some can even get virtual jobs. While in Second Life you do not need money in order to function throughout the world, these people feel the need to acquire it through these tasks or by converting real currency into Lindon Dollars. All of which is done to buy what they don’t need in order to show off their material or physical selves in a virtual world. One such example is that of the cars and homes in Second Life. These large grandiose homes are built within the virtual world. Houses with three or four floors, large front walks, landscaped lawns, gargoyles, sea side castles, yacht’s, and some of which that have invisible barriers exempting people who are not directly linked to the creator. Cars can be witnessed driving or even flying all around Second Life. One of the islands visited was that of a Volkswagen Beetle shop. When I asked my mother if she could do one thing in Second Life that she could not do in real life, she said she would buy a VW Bug. While she could indeed buy one in reality by trading in her current vehicle with little cost to her or my father they do not for fear of taking money away from their retirement fund. This exemplifies what the authors of //Breakthrough// were speaking of when they wrote that Americans have an insecurity of retirement and future even though they have more economic power.

 Body image is perhaps the most notable insecurity that is altered by Second Life. I visited three different salons within the virtual world all of which sold different body types. Of these three the most notable was that of the Platinum Salon which catered to altering body types of both men and women. When a person first walks through the doors of the platinum salon they are presented with a directory sending people to either the men’s section of the women’s. This place was packed with people searching for the “perfect” body image. Searching for what makes them feel “perfect” as in virtual reality they can actually achieve this.

 When an avatar is created in Second Life they are done so with a basic body. Initially a person gets to pick whether they want to be male or female and then are formed in the basic mold of that body. No distinguished private parts are evident other than the outside shell. While the body shape, face and hair can indeed be altered the actual differences in these alterations are limited. The clothing is also of a limited fashion, although one can change the color, texture and fit of clothing. In essence what you are given when first “born” is a basic form. In these salons avatars are reshaping themselves to be what they wish to look like. And one could wonder if possibly people are creating themselves either in likeness to their actual self of in an image of what they want to be. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">When walking into the salon the images that are offered as potential body types are given names and plastered up on large poster boards. These images are completely nude to accentuate the sizes of the hips, legs, waist, arms, and even breasts. All of the bodies are toned and the breasts all take the shape of the stereotypical silicone breast implants. Not one of them in this salon or the others was overweight or had much fat on them at all. In a world where the average woman wears a size ten or above this “body mall” does not cater to them. Instead it caters to what most women strive to be, the “ideal” body shape, image and size. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">The men are not exempt from this themselves; in fact they have their own section of the shopping plaza. In theirs they also have the “ideal” body image. The men have toned abdominals, most of which sport a six-pack, broad shoulders, and muscular arms. They even have a choice in genitals. For a certain amount of money a male can buy a penis in the size they wish. As with the females they can also change their face shape, skin color, hair color and texture, clothing style as well as shoes. In all a person can create themselves in any fashion they please to what best suits them or their ideals. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">This plays into the insecurity for more than the obvious reasons. As stated before people have issues with their body image, and no one is exempt from insecurity at any point in their lives. Because these three salons in Second Life have no choices of larger sizes and only specialize in the “ideal” image, they are fueling the already insecure society by essentially saying that no one would want to be large if they could help it-and in this case they can. People who buy into this message or are indeed trying to create their virtual self in likeness of their dream body appease their insecurities by creating this person of their dreams.


 * Part V: Conclusion**

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 200%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'"> Second Life is a world where dreams can be made into reality, or virtual reality at that. A person can attain as much money as they wish, they can buy homes and cars of great value to substantiate as well as flaunt their wealth, can create themselves in their ideal image, as well as have opportunity to act and voice opinions that otherwise wouldn’t surface. However second life also reinstates these insecurities as well as emphasizes their impact upon society. While the freedom to face fears like those above is available, limitations still exists. These limitations are found in forms of structural constraints, not letting someone go where they wish or buy what they want because they do not have enough money, thus reemphasizing the need to income in what is supposed to be a free world. Comfort objects are placed on islands, while offering connection to home they also remind people of limitations within the real world. Also with the building materials available, surplus of cars and boats, as well as other material items the insecure affluence is evident in Second Life as well as real. The image of the body is probably the most constricting, for while providing an opportunity for people to be free of the insecurities by recreating themselves it accentuates the social norms for people to be thin and thus highlights the insecurity subconsciously. Overall Second Life is a world of positives and negatives in terms of insecurities and freedom. Either way the world of virtual reality offers an escape in one sense while creating a prison in another. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman','serif'">