Our Virtual Lives Are Real Lives

As a philosopher, I think the meaning in our lives is grounded in our consciousness. Human beings are conscious, and this gives us the capacity to invest meaning into the physical world. We can do the same with virtual reality. While an artificial city might not bear the same significance as one’s hometown, virtual worlds will build meaning of thei... See more

Second definition: Something is real if it’s not just in our minds. A mirage is only in our minds, so it’s not real. A tree falling in the forest happens outside our minds, so it’s real. The internet isn’t all in our minds. Websites still exist while we sleep.

None of this means that virtual reality will only be wonderful. Just like physical reality, digital worlds are full of loneliness and pain. And suffering in virtual reality is just as real and as meaningful as suffering in physical reality.

Fourth definition: Perhaps most important in our digital age, we say something is real if it’s authentic. When something is inauthentic, it’s fake. The physical world is full of inauthenticity, from counterfeit money to fake smiles. Inauthenticity runs even more rampant on the internet, where fake news, phony bots and Instagram filters that idealiz... See more

Many people think that virtual realities are unreal by definition. According to my criteria, this is wrong. Virtual worlds are real worlds.

First definition: Something is real if it makes a difference.

These days, I’d argue that cyberspace is a consensual reality. An online store like Amazon is just as real as one of Walmart’s brick-and-mortar stores. Amazon is a full-blooded institution that helps structure our reality.

In this sense, digital life is real. What happens on the internet impacts our everyday lives. A change in Google’s algorithm can ruin a business. A politician’s tweet has the potential to bring down a government.

Third definition: Something is real if it’s not an illusion, a hallucination or a fiction.