Second Life, a somewhat recent internet craze is basically an online community where one creates an avatar (or a virtual representation of themself) and travels around the virtual world in search of other people. Right off the bat, it is clear that this place can incorporate several of the theories we've discussed, but I think Caplan's theory of Problematic Internet Use really comes into play.
Caplan states that individuals who have psychosocial problems will hold negative perceptions about their ability to socialize in real life. Because of this, these people prefer online interaction because it is less threatening. This preference then leads to excessive and compulsive online interaction which worsens their psychosocial problems.
Applying this to Second Life, the purpose of this online meeting place (it's not really a game, though it is marketed as such) is implicit in its name--to create a Second Life. This premise would be very attractive to people with psychosocial problems because it offers a chance for users to reinvent themselves. With their new identities, these people can rebuild who they are and generate a group of Second Life friends with whom they identify.
As we've seen in class, surrounding oneself in an environment like this can lead to very excessive and compulsive use of internet. One example I have in mind is the man whose real-life wife is threatening a divorce because he has a Second Life wife. Clearly, this man has spent an extreme amount of time in this environment if he has already found himself a virtual wife. This represents just one negative outcome of many that could result from too much time spent in Second Life (aside from psychosocial skills worsening, perceived social risk and responsibility also can decrease, according to Caplan).
Second Life is a unique internet addiction, however, and I think this stems from the fact that it is specifically designed for people to branch out socially via a virtual world (which might imply to the user that, not only is the environment safer, but it's kind of like a role playing game, so there would be no harm--something that is proven untrue by the previous example). Contrasted with things like compulsive email checking or online gambling, Second Life fosters the theory that Caplan presents.
Due to Second Life's unique nature, I think that in addition to Caplan's theory, it also becomes important to think back to online dating/relationship theories (especially the notion of Connecting to Similar Others and Removal of Gating Features) and consider them as a contributing factor of psychosocial problems or the desire to interact frequently via this forum.
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Nice tie-in with earlier theories presented in the course! I agree that online dating and relationships would likely play an important role in causing Second Life related PIU. In general, the desire to keep maintenance of virtual presence to foster these relationships can result in both excessive and compulsive use.
Because you can only “see” other users in Second Life through avatars, there is at once both greater anonymity and control over self-presentation. The user feels more comfortable in this type of situation, so it leads to greater self-disclosure. Pretty soon, the user will be having more interaction online than offline, leading precisely to the cycle you describe.
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