Virtual worlds have become a large part
of the digital age. With worlds like Linden Lab’s Second Life have created environments where people from all around
the world can come together and communicate with one another. Of course these
communications are going to be limited. Because of self created avatars and the
ability to be whatever one wants to be online, these communications may not be
as true to life as one might hope. However, even with this large limitation the
benefits of the virtual world as a bridging tool for communications among
people in different cultures can be great. Having a neutral setting where one
can interact and communicate with people they may not otherwise have had the
chance to, is a great tool for creating new channels of communication between
cultures.
The
limitations of communications via a virtual world are obvious. Hurdles such as
language barriers, time zone constraints when trying to line up international
talks, and the ability of everyone involved to use avatars as a representation
of themselves can make connecting with an individual difficult over a long
period of time. These small problems are manageable with patience, extra
education, and a desire to connect with other people. However, there are
problems with virtual communication that cannot be avoided. The problems are
the subtle nuances about communication that make talking to a human much more
engaging than talking to a computer. The areas of communication that are
lacking in virtual worlds are kinesics and haptics.
Kinesics
and Haptics create for communication the kind of flavor that sugar and milk
brought coco; it makes them better. Kinesics is the gestures, body movements,
and facial expressions (Jandt, 2010. chap. 5) that make conversation engaging.
They can bring life to a lecture and emphasize important speaking points
without an increase in volume by the speaker. Going hand in hand with kinesics
are haptics, which is the use of touch to communicate. Reserch published by
PLoS ONE online journal stated that “the lack of gestural information from both
the speaker and the listener limits successful communication in virtual
environments,” (Public Library of Science, 2011).
When
these virtual worlds are used in an atmosphere of general communication, such
as a platform for new ideas, or as a way to interact with people one may not
have interacted with otherwise, there is created a chance to tear town and
overcome typical stereotypes. When Joshua Fouts and Rita King started their
events based program Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds, it was
designed to tear down such stereotypes (Fouts & King 2009). Virtual worlds
will allow these types of initial contacts to take place. This will build a
stronger foundation for real life communications.
Virtual
worlds are great places to establish communications for subjects like value
systems, cultural norms, and the misunderstandings about one’s culture. In
virtual worlds different ideas can be exchanged through various view points
about the same topic as long as all participants are willing to abide by an
established set of rules for these communications. Anonymity in the avatar is
always going to be one hurdle that is hard to jump.
When
stronger foundations are established by any means, whether they be virtual or
not, and stereotypes can be overcome, then the real root of cultural
differences can be tackled in engaging communications among people who have
otherwise not been able to do so. A real environment for understanding and
growth is built when these stereotypes are abolished, confronted, and
understood.
There are always going to be times
when a preconceived notion will shape an opinion. Virtual worlds do what they
can to try and eliminate preconceived notions by placing everyone on an level
playing field. By interacting with other members of these virtual worlds, such
as Second Life, a person can
eliminate most of the initial boundaries that have been set up by one’s own culture.
Virtual worlds can help to eliminate these boundaries, but not with their own
limitations. Subtle communication limits, such as touch and body language, can
deliver wrong messages or hinder further bonding. But to use these virtual
worlds as a launching pad for further communication should be explored and
utilized. Having a neutral setting where one can interact and communicate with
people they may not otherwise have had the chance to, is a great tool for
creating new channels of communication between cultures. And in a world
environment more communication tools available is a good thing.
References
Fouts,
J.S., & King, R.J. (2009). "Understanding Islam through virtual
worlds (2008–2009)" (Video). Retrieved from
http://www.cceia.org/programs/archive/002/index.html
Hossain, S., Rahman, A., & El Saddik, A. (2011).
Measurements of Multimodal Approach to Haptic Interaction in Second Life
Interpersonal Communication System. IEEE Transactions On Instrumentation
& Measurement, 60(11), 3547-3558. doi:10.1109/TIM.2011.2161148
Jandt,
F.E. (2010). An introduction to intercultural communication:
Identities in a global community (6th ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage. (ISBN: 9781412970105)
Public
Library of Science (2011, October 12). Talk to the virtual hands: Body language
of both speaker and listener affects success in virtual reality communication
game. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February
20, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/10/111012185624.htm