CBC Documentary Looks At Second Life Cheaters

[Andy Chalk]

CBC Documentary Looks At Second Life Cheaters

Second Life [http://www.cbc.ca] relationships that includes a look at Ric "Dutch" Hoogestraat, whose wife left him over his Second Life fling.

The show looks at two couples in Second Life, examining their relationships in the game as well as the impact those relationships have in the real world. While the online world is just a "diversion" for most people, the show acknowledges, in rare instances, such as these, the virtual world can intrude on the real, often with less-than-pleasant results.

Up first is Carolyn, a married mother of four who's become caught up in a relationship with a fellow Second Lifer from England. But after finally traveling overseas to meet the real-life man behind her virtual lover, she discovers that the flame that burned so brightly on a computer screen fizzled when brought into the harsh light of the real world. The second case is one already known to most gamers: The story of Ric Hoogestraat, who was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article entitled big-screen adaptation [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118670164592393622.html] directed by Gore Verbinski. After his wife left him over his online antics, Hoogestraat, who's been married "several times," traveled to Canada to meet the object of his affection. The pair remain together, although in order to move to his home in Arizona, the divorced mother of two was forced to leave behind her two children.

In both cases, it's just about impossible to conclude that at least one of the parties involved hasn't crossed a very distinct and important line, not just by discarding existing relationships - husbands, wives, children - but by doing so in favor of an obviously idealized, fictional character. Seeking love is a normal human behavior; seeking it in someone else's fantasy isn't.

The fifth estate documentary Strangers in Paradise can be seen in full at the CBC website [http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/strangers_in_paradise/video.html]. (Includes adult content. Avert your eyes if you don't like virtual boob flashes.)

via: Kotaku [http://kotaku.com/5141854/cheating-second-life-husband-the-movie]


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[Lord_Ascendant]

huh

this is a little different than Facebook/Myspace/Gaia relationships

in that its a video game and means nothing

scary that people do stuff like that

 

[uppitycracker]

huh

this is a little different than Facebook/Myspace/Gaia relationships

in that its a video game and means nothing

scary that people do stuff like that

the sad thing is the attention it's getting

 

[Labyrinth]

huh

this is a little different than Facebook/Myspace/Gaia relationships

in that its a video game and means nothing

scary that people do stuff like that

I would like to point out here that some online relationships are as strong as one in the real world. The biggest difference is the lack of physicality and direct contact. Characters carry a little of people in their creation, and often roleplays online can get more intense than they were intended to become. Shit happens pretty much.

Is it any different to split from someone over a cyber affair than it is to split them over phonesex?

 

[TheWickerPopstar]

Regardless of where or how you meet someone, I could not imagine leaving behind two children to move to another country with someone. I think that's what I take issue with in all of this.

Unless they were real brats. Who played with Bratz.

 

[I III II X4]

It's a tricky issue to be sure, but when your married, you should realize that "Hey, I made this choice to marry the person whom I'm living with, so I shall not cheat on them." Yet, they do.

Wanna know why?

I tell ya, it's the twits that get hitched at a young age and then half way through they realize they don't wanna be with that person.

The Internet, games, and Life Sims are methods for these people to escape that, sadly however, they find love in such places which ends up breaking more than one heart.

 

[Trivun]

huh

this is a little different than Facebook/Myspace/Gaia relationships

in that its a video game and means nothing

scary that people do stuff like that

I would like to point out here that some online relationships are as strong as one in the real world. The biggest difference is the lack of physicality and direct contact. Characters carry a little of people in their creation, and often roleplays online can get more intense than they were intended to become. Shit happens pretty much.

Is it any different to split from someone over a cyber affair than it is to split them over phonesex?

The problem is that the real person may be like their virtual character, or they may not. There are all sorts of weirdos on the internet who trawl chatlines and places like Second Life for the sake of a few brief minutes of cybersex, whether or not they have real world relationships. Some people, however, aren't weirdos, but make real connections with people who they meet through things like this. Which is fine in small doses. For example, I myself have friends on the internet, including this very website. But they are no substitution for real life friends and I would always choose my flatmates and my real friends over people online. And that goes for romantic relationships too. People who cheat online aren't different to people who have phonesex, except that they are doing so with people they have likely never met (unless you count phonesex chatlines as advertised in newspapers and so on). You can't be certain what the online person is really like, and you can't be certain that it won't affect your real world relationships.

 

[DamienHell]

AWWW I meant to watch that

 

[Erana]

huh

this is a little different than Facebook/Myspace/Gaia relationships

in that its a video game and means nothing

scary that people do stuff like that

I would like to point out here that some online relationships are as strong as one in the real world. The biggest difference is the lack of physicality and direct contact. Characters carry a little of people in their creation, and often roleplays online can get more intense than they were intended to become. Shit happens pretty much.

Is it any different to split from someone over a cyber affair than it is to split them over phonesex?

My sentiments exactly, and I think cybering is worse, with having a digital representation of the act there...