Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

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Virtual worlds are evolving all the time.  They can be used for entertainment (video games), business (corporate meetings), or political aims (info gatherings). Here we can view spaces and items which may or may not exist in the real world.  In these ways virtual worlds can be fun, informative, and creative.  Virtual worlds are fraught with pros and cons.  Users with disabilities such as autism, for example, can benefit from experiencing social settings in different ways.  Architects and designers can view and present their creations clearly.  Historic places in danger of slipping away can be preserved forever.  Want to see the Mona Lisa? You can view it any time you like from the comfort of your own home.  However, I feel that many of these possibilities are marred by their shortcomings.  I'd prefer to see the real thing.  Also, personal safety might be an issue; children in Second Life might become acquainted with dangerous "people".  Personal information may be exposed-even Twitter isn't safe from hackers.  If you are at a club, you cannot have a beer with that.  Maybe these issues could be solved with some further technical development. 

It's easy to be creative in virtual reality.  You can choose any type avatar you like with the right clothes and hair.  You can choose a location template or create your own world.  You can make music or create a painting of your own.  Feel free to design a dress, make a new color, or present your own dream home.  Personally the most wonderful thing about virtual reality is that the options prompt people to think about their lives, for better or for worse, and what they'd really like versus what they expect to achieve.  People could make many of their goals actual realities instead of virtual ones if they only knew what it was they really wanted. For this, future virtual realities may evolve into a training ground for future exploration.  Users could try on a career or visit a country to find if this is something they'd want to really do in the real future.  As usual, there would also be business implications. Marketing companies would gladly pay for the opportunity to decipher the product preferences of various demographic groups.  I'm watching this to see how it all turns out.