The Vine

For a fascinating perspective on connection and belonging, and the lengths (some might say depths) we’ll go to find them, check out the film Second Skin.

This superb documentary explores the phenomenon of MMOs—Massively Multiplayer Online games, such as World of Warcraft, Second Life, etc.—through several players whose lives have been transformed by them…in ways both good and bad.

There are 50 million MMO gamers worldwide, half of whom describe themselves as addicted, spending upwards of 14 hours a day absorbed in synthetic worlds—often at the expense of jobs, relationships, health and finances. Nearly half say they value their online friends more than the flesh-and-blood people in their lives, and one-third have told an online friend a secret they’ve never divulged to anyone else.

It’s tempting to characterize this as a bunch of socially maladjusted outcasts indulging in escapism—a new generation of Dungeons & Dragons geeks now with broadband Internet access. And a lot of them are. But as the film illustrates, it’s not that straightforward. (It never is.)

For starters, most gamers are members of guilds, which are ongoing, cohesive player groups. One of the most successful, The Syndicate, has an international membership, holds monthly, local dinner parties of 20 or more, and stages an annual conference that draws over 100 people in real space. It has a charter, codes of conduct, and a mission statement that declares, “We seek to foster long term friendships among members and enhance the online gaming experience by virtue of those friendships.” How is this all that different from an Elks Lodge?

Or consider the case of Andrew Monkelban. Severely affected by Cerebral Palsy, Andrew is unable to walk or talk. When he goes out in public, he is (at best) avoided by able-bodied people who find his condition too uncomfortable to deal with. “Before I started playing MMOs I used to be quiet and keep to myself, because I am so different from other people,” Andrew types. “But playing lets me drop my guard and open up to others. They let us have lives of our own. Although they are virtual, they are still our lives nonetheless. Using my character’s abilities makes me feel free from my wheelchair.”

He goes on: ”This is going to sound corny, but MMOs have made me a better person. I’ve learned loyalty, the meaning of friendship, sensitivity, what it truly means to be strong. I’m able to give back to the community and I take great pride and enjoyment in it. I would definitely consider myself a resident of the virtual world.”

Edward Castronova, an expert on the societies of large-scale online games, acknowledges that there is an inherent problem in so many people finding their identities in virtual worlds—but he suggests that in many cases, the problem is with us, not them. Castronova believes that videogame environments may actually be holding up a critical eye to the society we’ve created.

“If we lose hundreds of millions of people to these synthetic environments,” he says, ”that would be a terrible condemnation of the kind of world we’ve made out here.”

And that’s the film’s strongest message of all.

The story is by turns funny, sad, eye-opening, touching and uplifting. It’s now out on DVD, and it’s well worth renting.