Today, I watched “Virtual Cultures in Pandemic Times”. There are a couple things I want to point out here.
First, depending on where someone lives and what they do for a living, the pandemic may very well be the darkest days they have ever lived in their life. Some people may have even lost their minds due to it. Individuals were told they had to stay home and socially distance from others. This led to a new pandemic that we are currently dealing with today: loneliness. For many, Second Life and other virtual worlds such as Animal Crossing were a great opportunity to connect with others and socialize again.
Second, I feel that this video relates to what we have done in this class because everybody who used these virtual worlds to find hope during the pandemic were essentially following their own hero’s journey by interacting with objects and environments that the developers of said world had created.
I can’t say that I personally know anyone this happened to, but I am very confident that the virtual worlds of Second Life, Animal Crossing, etc. probably saved many peoples’ lives. It gave them a chance to reconnect with society, establish and maintain relationships, and have a safe place to be themselves.
I would say the best way to market our project would be through the virtual world itself, social media, signage on the Peninsula College campus, and through the college website.