Let’s put our thoughts on the table for a second, when we join Second Life, we normally have some sort of purpose in which we’re trying to obtain in the virtual world. Each purpose and goal is individualized for each user. I may use Second Life for a completely different reason than another person would use the platform. Let’s be honest, the American Dream is hard to come by nowadays but in Second Life it’s possible. We as users can live a reality that is harder to obtain in our own lives in the real world. This post I’ll be talking about my experience from the very beginning and what I’ve been trying to obtain as a user in Second Life for about 9 years. As crazy as it may seem my purpose in Second Life at the very beginning though it may seem weird was to study and be with my teacher and classmates learning about various subjects using Second Life as a key component platform for showing us what the teacher wanted to teach. With that being said let’s jump right in! 

Second Life in The School Setting & Teen Grid:

Yes, I’m one of the individuals in which Second Life was used in my high school to teach us certain topics. My teachers used it as a tool in the classroom if it weren’t for them and Second Life being downloaded on the school laptops I would’ve never known or experienced what Second Life had to offer. I’m one of those young kids who started Second Life on the Teen Grid when it was still around. There was a point in time were kids 13-18 could sign up for a more kid-friendly version of Second Life where everyone was technically a minor. This was around my Freshman year of high school and having Second Life in the schools lasted until about the end of my Sophomore year. This is around the time when we got the news that the grids were merging otherwise known as Teen Grid no longer being alive and Linden Labs just making Second Life what it is known as which is Second Life. This is around the time when the sign-up age was for 17 and older, kids could no longer play Second Life but with good reason. Later on, down the line when I had my account unfrozen (that’s what they did they froze all of the teen grid accounts until they hit the proper age to come back into Second Life.) it made perfect sense with all of the sex sims and skill gaming regions. But with that, as I said above, I’ve been a member overall for 9 years.

Purpose of Second Life to me Until Age 19:

Second Life’s purpose for me has changed throughout the years. When I was younger my purpose for using Second Life was to not be alone to chat with people and always have someone there for me even though they were far away. I used Second Life to cope with my anxiety of being alone which is odd because I’m very independent and don’t mind being alone. However, being as outgoing as I am, I wanted that human connection almost all the time because to be fair I always felt alone in the real world. I used Second Life to meet new people and make new friends along the way who have been close friends to me for years and years some for decades. Most people go online to escape reality and honestly in a sense I’ve done the same. During this time, I was in college school was stressful, making friends was hard, depression and anxiety were hitting me like a hurricane. During this time, I didn’t have a strong head on my shoulders. I was looking for something that I couldn’t obtain in my reality true friendship and with some people, I’ve found it. To be fair, they probably know me better than most people in my reality but that tends to happen when you have internet friends. To be honest, I also used Second Life at the time to release my inner demon in a sense and try things I’d never do in the real world. I experimented with my sexuality and fetishes and what I liked and didn’t like. This led to a relationship that I wasn’t proud to be in and was somewhat abusive that led into my reality but just so everyone knows that relationship is long gone. I honestly, didn’t know what I wanted in my Second Life and during this time my main usage for Second Life was to be a fashionista, meeting and making friends, and experimenting with sexuality.

My Purpose in Second Life Now:

Everyone makes mistakes as we’re all human and it’s the normal human response in society. I’ve learned from these mistakes; I have a very strong and hard head on my shoulders and because of this my purpose of Second Life has changed from the past till now. I have a few different purposes for using the platform now and most of them are to help my creative juices flow. I’ve always been a passionate writer I’ve loved writing since I could pick up a pencil and write. I’ve been looking for content writing positions in the real world, but do you know how hard that is? I also have a passion for virtual worlds as they have been a part of my life for many years. That is when I decided to write a blog. I consistently had writer’s block, and this is because I lost my skill because I didn’t keep up with it. So, I started Charming Ellie I use my blog as a hobby I don’t want to make money off of it I use it to help get my content out into the world and to write about something I’m passionate about and care about. My blog helps me to write almost every day and keep up with new trends in the virtual world industry especially since a lot of virtual worlds are beginning to disappear with time. My purpose in Second Life is to explore, create, and help deliver content to Second Life users all around the globe on travel, advice, and just living you’re Second Life to the fullest.

The other reason I use Second Life now is to keep up with the friends I’ve made in the past who are still friends with me today. They come on occasionally, and I make sure I log on now and then just to spend time with those important people. My main purpose for being in second life now is to hone my skills in interior design and fashion. These are things that cost a lot of money in reality so I just find it best to create and do these things in a virtual world platform on Second Life where it’s a lot cheaper and there are so many ways to implement avatar and land/home creation. I use Second Life now more as a creative outlook a way to push my creativity and get the juices flowing consistently. To be fair, I still use Second Life in a way to escape reality but not as much as I’ve used to. I keep to myself, for the most part, I do everything alone if I can but now and then I’ll run into someone to chat with for a few hours or more.

My Dream:

One of the biggest dreams I’ve had and yes, I’m a dreamer is to work for Linden Labs. They don’t truly realize how much Second Life does indeed mean to me and the people inside of it. I’ve always wanted to make a difference quite a few times I almost opened shop in Second Life to give advice and help with different situations as I do have a life coach certification. There is a huge need for something like that but when I tried people didn’t use it. I don’t want to be famous or popular for writing blog posts or anything along those lines. But I’ve always wanted to do content writing or something and become join the Lindens and creators over at Linden Labs. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world and even though Linden Labs is a corporation they have done that for so many people. Maybe one day I’ll be able to but for now, it’s just hopes and dreams that will take me far in my adventures in this reality of life. We never know what the future has to offer and our dreams in life take us further than we expect them to.

With all of this being my experience, I want to hear from all my readers in the comment section. What purpose does Second Life have in your life? What do you use the platform for and why? How did you start? And how is Second Life important to you? I’d love to hear from all of you as this is something that interests me about all of the users I run into and honestly it’s how I always strike up a conversation because everyone is different and everyone comes into this virtual world for different reasons. I hope to see all of you in my next post.

Chao!