The information age, specifically the internet, has opened doors for the human race in ways that were never thought possible in the not so distant past. This is especially true when pertaining to how we communicate. The internet has given us the opportunity to interact with people right down the street from us, or even on the other side of the globe. Online video games and virtual worlds are two popular forms of media in which people from different countries and cultures are able to interact and communicate with each other. The question is, however, do these technological forms of human contact open new channels of communication between different cultures? The answer is, simply put, of course they do. Online video games and virtual worlds allow people from cultures all over the world to interact and share their similarities and differences with one another. The following paper will discuss the communication channels that these virtual worlds provide for us, as well as the benefits and limitations of them in improving intercultural communication.
It is no secret that we have a long way to go when it comes to understanding and respecting the differences between each and every one of us. This is in large part due to the cultures that we were raised in, and are members of. Each culture differs from another either in a very large way, or a miniscule one. This does not mean that one is any better than the other, though. Unfortunately, that is precisely the problem that our species has, and is something that we have to learn to overcome. The arrival of the internet has given us the opportunity to narrow the gap that we have between one another. We now have virtual worlds and online games that put us in contact with people from every country and culture across the planet, and those of us that participate in these synthetic environments bring with us our differences. The virtual realities we have access to now are things that we had never had before, bringing us all closer together.
In the past, a person might have gone through their entire life without ever meeting anyone from a different culture other than their own. The only views they would have had of different cultures were those that were taught to them. This is no longer the case today. Online games and virtual worlds are a tool for all of us to get to know our fellow human, as well as the differences that make each and every one of us beautiful and unique. Whether you live on a farm in Nebraska, or in the busy city of Tokyo, you have the means of connecting with people of cultures that you have never met. These new channels of communication, however, both benefit and hinder our attempts at improving intercultural communication.
Virtual worlds enable us to communicate with one another, but this does not necessarily mean they are always positive and productive interactions. “Virtual worlds are full of social cooperation and social conflict; they present all of the problems of social order we find in real space and some that we do not (Balkin & Noveck, 2006).” Communicating with those from different cultures lets us learn about them. Virtual worlds are places where we can put down our fears and hesitations that come along with interacting with people that we do not quite understand. This can either be a wonderful opportunity to learn about our differences, or a place where our prejudices and ignorance can be put on display without consequence. This, overall, is what determines whether or not virtual worlds are beneficial or negative in improving intercultural communication.
Virtual worlds and online video games give us the opportunity to learn about the various cultures that span the world. As with most things in life, it is the choices we make and the paths that we take that will determine whether or not these worlds will benefit our improvements in intercultural relations. The internet and its synthetic worlds give us the chance to draw our species closer together, but they also give us a means to further our ignorance and hate without fear. In the end, I feel that they can be very useful tools in helping us better understand each other, but it will always depend on our willingness to see the differences in us as a positive thing rather than a negative. The walls between us can only be torn down if each and every one of us puts a hammer to the stone.
Balkin, J.M., Noveck, B.S. (2006). State of Play: Law, Games, and Virtual Worlds. NYU Press. New York, NY. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/docDetail.action?docID=10176208&p00=virtual%20worlds%20communication
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