Second Life not a useful tool in today's economy?

Second Life has become controversial in Britain after it was reported that the British government spends 12,000 pounds ($17,500) for the Department of Work and Pensions by a Sky News article. It is mainly controversial because the DWP website does not even advertise it. Furthermore, it seems superfluous to maintain a Second Life community when a million people are likely to lose their jobs in the current economic climate. The account initially cost 20,000 pounds ($29,000) to build and costs 12,000 pounds a year to maintain.

The case for the account, according to the department, is that it will eventually save money in the long run. “We believe it could help make sharing technology more efficient and save taxpayers money as meetings, events and shows can be held online at a fraction of the cost and resources,” they said. While 15 million people have signed up in Second Life, active users only count in the hundreds of thousands.

While Second Life does seem to be struggling to catch on, I think it just needs some time. Because the economic climate isn’t very favorable these days, this type of social media which costs money to maintain may not have much support. Even so, if it will save money in the long-run when people do not have to travel for work because they can virtually meet clients, then it will be much more appreciated. However, it seems that free social media is where the support lies during this time.

Reaction: Second Life speaker

After we had the speaker on Second Life, it seems that it’s more than a variation of the once popular Sims game. Second Life can be used for a social networking tool for school and work, in addition to making online friends. More importantly, it can be used as an educational tool. I was impressed with the virtual illustration of Dante Alighieri’s “The Inferno.” I believe this is a particularly useful tool to engage students when studying the classic Italian literary work. The simulation included an interaction between the user and a chat within the game, which was pre-programmed with the questions asked of Dante in The Inferno.

As an educational tool, I think Second Life will eventually skyrocket as a means of interactive learning. Teachers can use Second Life to their advantage, even if students never use it afterwards. Illustrations always serve as a positive tool for learning. It is still a question of whether Second Life could serve as a sort of tool for education 2.0. Because social media has become second nature to tech-savvy adults and young adults, why couldn’t Second Life become second nature to upcoming tech-savvy students?