From MUDs to Warcraft: Application to the Real World

The article "Aspects of Self" by Sherry Turkle discusses how online personas effect one's focus on identity and how online chat-rooms or games can lead to the emergence of certain traits within oneself.  She dwells mostly on the existence of MUDs or Multi-User Dungeons and their controversial effecst on the individual. The article begins with saying, "When we step through the screen, we reconstruct our identities on the other side of the looking glass"(Turkle 177).   She is referring to the way in which virtual realms enable one to recreate themselves in their own self image.  Some view this online- existence a means of escape and isolation whereas others see it as a facet by which they can openly express their true selves and gain self confidence.  By creating an online persona, one is able to select favorable traits while testing new ones out simultaneously.

Turkle lists a variety of individuals who all responded differently to life through MUDs.  For some it was therapeutic and positive whereas others were eventually led into distress and depression.  Through the example of Gordon, an introverted, self-loathing college student, Turkle demonstrates the therapeutic aspect of MUDs.  Unable to communicate efficiently with others in the real life situations, Gordon found comfort in creating characters or "avatars" and interacting anonymously online.  He viewed each character as a "clean slate" who possessed traits he was trying to develop himself (190).  Through these various avatars, Gordon felt a heightened sense of self and learned to draw from bits and pieces of these multiple personalities.  He eventually was able to meet a woman on a MUD and the virtual relationship turned into a real life marriage.
Turkle's example of a man named Stewart is the opposite of Gordon's successful story.  Stewart, also an introverted college student, was a student who used, "MUDs to have an experience he could not possibly in RL"(192).  Strickly a "hack/slash" or adventure style MUD player, Stewart constantly remaind online so that he could simply talk to people (193).  He enjoyed the authority and freedom his status as a "wizard" provided, allowing him to gain recognition and converse with others.  Stewart retreated further and further into his virtual life until that was his only means of fulfillment and interaction.  Although he felt pride in going on virtual dates and throwing online parties, Stewart remained locked in his virtual, ideal self.  MUDs can either provide help in the real world or retreat from it.

MUDs now begin to seem quite archaic after the advancement of online technologies, especially the aspect of role-playing adventure games.  The current online sensation "World of Warcraft" takes the concept of MUDs to a whole new level.  In this virtual realm, individuals can communicate to each others while playing out all of their secret urges and fantasies often unacceptable in the real world.  An article issued by "Wired" magazine titled You Play World of Warcraft? You're Hired! plays with the idea that online gaming can produce desirable leadership traits within individuals.  The article brings up the case of Stephan Gillet who, while being a leading contender for a top job at Yahoo!, was also an avid "WOW" player.  His position as a top "guild master" provided him a, "safe platform for trial and error. The chance of failure is high, but the cost is low and the lessons learned are immediate" (Brown 1).  In a simulated environment, failure only leads to knowledge.  To become a successful guild-master, one must immerse oneself in a whole variety of leadership traits such as, "attracting, evaluating, and recruiting new members; creating apprenticeship programs; orchestrating group strategy; and adjudicating disputes"(2).   He learned to apply his learned learned leadership skills to real world situations and in turn become the senior director of engineering operations at Yahoo! (2).


From the two articles, it is evident that skills acquired through online interaction can either lead to success in the real world or be used to further the shroud one's identity.  In the case of Gordon and Stephan, online personas developed traits within themselves that they positively applied to their own lives. In the case of Stewart, however, virtual reality became the only reality that suited him which in turn pushed him further into depression.  It is the predisposed psychological state of these individuals that impacts and decides whether or not online existence is a positive or negative learning tool.