Virtual worlds are a window on human psyche

As virtual worlds become more ubiquitous and more long lived, user behaviour is offering more insights into human psyche and revealing how virtual reality can fill some emotional needs we might have.  As this article discusses, the working and spending behaviour of avatars is active by choice rather than necessity – you don’t have to work or dress in Second Life to survive, but it may enrich your experience.  Second Life residents choose to make money (Linden dollars) and spend it on stuff so that they feel comfortable and successful in the virtual world.  They may even devote nearly as much time to creating their virtual reality as living in the real world!  Its a great way to be rich without a massive ecological footprint!