Reality bites, doesn’t it? When given the choice of facing the “brutal facts” versus escaping to an appealing illusion, why would we choose the hard over the available easy?
This article is fascinating, but not surprising:
http://tinyurl.com/theillusion
Look at the trends. Fantasy football is becoming almost as popular as the real game. Online communities such as Second Life and World of Warcraft offer millions of participants the illusion of community, relationships, and even real commerce. I heard recently that video conferencing could be replaced in a few years with Second Life meetings as an alternative to live discussions. In China the largest online gaming corporation boasts of 250 million members of which 4 million are online at any given time.
An increasing number tragic stories like the article above are starting to surface. I have a friend who required physical intervention because she was spending 12 hours a day in Second Life engaging in an online affair and emotionally abandoning their children.
Why does THE Illusionist need to be subtle with his diversions when we are more than willing to choose the “Matrix” and believe that “ignorance is bliss”? The error increases with distance rule of physics applies directly to the virtual world. The opportunities for illusory escape will become more enticing and more available as time goes on.
I encourage you to help your son realize the Illusionist’s strategy to divert our attention from real relationships. We will need clear thinkers in the coming months who can relate to and lead others better than online avatars.
Posted by Teknon 