The real secret of Second Life

[Luna Bliss]

4 minutes ago, Sammy Huntsman said:

6 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

I never said self-medicating is the best way to treat a medical condition.  They need to seek help and obtain optimal brain functioning with professional help.  I simply said I don't consider it addiction. Most importantly I would not judge them negatively as society often does when someone uses an illegal substance.

No one is judging them negatively at all, you are just reaching there. Most people just want them off the streets and in rehab centers, getting the help they need. And yes it is addiction, plain and simple. 

omg have you been living under a rock?  Society has a terrible attitude toward addicts, assigning terrible blame to them, their addiction being seen as a moral failure, and never any blame assigned to a society that has a tendency to create addicts in numerous ways.  It's only recently that they're portrayed as people worthy of help.

[Arielle Popstar]

7 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

I never said self-medicating is the best way to treat a medical condition.  They need to seek help and obtain optimal brain functioning with professional help.  I simply said I don't consider it addiction. Most importantly I would not judge them negatively as society often does when someone uses an illegal substance.

What about when they refuse to go to work because it interferes with their online time? What about when a resident is snappy at family because they want food rather then them paying for another months tier? All kinds of ways the addiction can manifest and does that is negative towards those around them. 

[Sammy Huntsman]

26 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

I'm not "disregarding any person who actually needs help and needs to get off of SL", nor am I "putting a stigma on mental health issues".   I'm pointing out that most people in SL are not addicts in the true sense of the word.

Additionally, I don't like the OP painting SL with a wide brush and claiming SL is mainly about addiction.  It's simply not.

Okay instead of talking over an actual ex-addict and disregarding what they say. Be empathetic and listen to them. I mean you are talking over me disregarding my experience, and acting like you know all about it. 

[gwynchisholm]

The secret to secondlife is that its financial state is propped up entirely by suspiciously wealthy furries, it will always succeed if we have more furry avatars than vrchat.

[Luna Bliss]

The title of this thread is "The Real Secret of Second Life"...and she goes on to point out addiction.  I'm concerned about reading comprehension.

[Arielle Popstar]

4 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

omg have you been living under a rock?  Society has a terrible attitude toward addicts, assigning terrible blame to them, their addiction being seen as a moral failure, and never any blame assigned to a society that has a tendency to create addicts in numerous ways.  It's only recently that they're portrayed as people worthy of help.

You're not acknowledging the human cost of those affected by the addict, at least not here. When the topic is something else where violence comes into the picture as it often does in the life an addict, you're all about the victims of violence.

[Luna Bliss]

5 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

16 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

I never said self-medicating is the best way to treat a medical condition.  They need to seek help and obtain optimal brain functioning with professional help.  I simply said I don't consider it addiction. Most importantly I would not judge them negatively as society often does when someone uses an illegal substance.

What about when they refuse to go to work because it interferes with their online time? What about when a resident is snappy at family because they want food rather then them paying for another months tier? All kinds of ways the addiction can manifest and does that is negative towards those around them. 

If they seek professional help and get their condition treated with appropriate drugs all that goes away, so your issues are moot.

[Arielle Popstar]

1 minute ago, Luna Bliss said:

If they seek professional help and get their condition treated with appropriate drugs all that goes away, so your issues are moot.

No because it is rare for someone to go get help and I'm not a fan of substitute drugs since that creates problems of their own when prescribed or not.

[Luna Bliss]

8 minutes ago, Sammy Huntsman said:

35 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

I'm not "disregarding any person who actually needs help and needs to get off of SL", nor am I "putting a stigma on mental health issues".   I'm pointing out that most people in SL are not addicts in the true sense of the word.

Additionally, I don't like the OP painting SL with a wide brush and claiming SL is mainly about addiction.  It's simply not.

Okay instead of talking over an actual ex-addict and disregarding what they say. Be empathetic and listen to them. I mean you are talking over me disregarding my experience, and acting like you know all about it. 

Just because you have been an addict does not man you have any insight into how many people in SL are addicts in the true sense of the word.

[Arielle Popstar]

Just now, Luna Bliss said:

Just because you have been an addict does not man you have any insight into how many people in SL are addicts in the true sense of the word.

Maybe not but if it follows a rough rule of thumb for other addictions, it would be 10% that are prone to it.

[Luna Bliss]

Just now, Arielle Popstar said:

2 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Just because you have been an addict does not man you have any insight into how many people in SL are addicts in the true sense of the word.

Maybe not but if it follows a rough rule of thumb for other addictions, it would be 10% that are prone to it.

The OP thinks , or at least presented as premise, "the real secret of second life" (the title to the thread, you know) is its addictive properties. Agree or disagree?   Can we get back on track?

[Sammy Huntsman]

4 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Just because you have been an addict does not man you have any insight into how many people in SL are addicts in the true sense of the word.

So my own experience is not valid, you just disregarded my experience, I mean sure I don't have an insight on addicts, but now you are gaslighting me. So I am done with this Luna, you are really getting on my nerves and I don't want to derail this thread anymore. 

[Sammy Huntsman]

9 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

If they seek professional help and get their condition treated with appropriate drugs all that goes away, so your issues are moot.

I'm just done with you Luna. You are being ridiculous and even ignorant and gaslighting people who went through it. 

[Luna Bliss]

Is Second Life primarily filled with people who can be defined as clinical addicts?  Can anybody answer this without weird derails?

If not, I think I'll go somewhere where it appears people have a few brain cells left.  Like in SL, where I meet all kinds of people who ARE NOT ADDICTS.

Edited April 29 by Luna Bliss

[Persephone Emerald]

7 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

This is what the OP said:

"This is an actual conversation with a new account. Name is altered for privacy.

[16:58] Charlemagne Allen: how did you hear about SL?
[16:58] sfskfjweoweirweirwep: I saw it on a documentary about video game addiction."

So you think this is portraying SL in a good light, like an attempt to discuss the positive aspects of SL?  lol

And I never said there are not actual addicts in SL who need help (for all types of addiction really).  What I did say was that most residents of SL are not addicts.

I thought the quote was ironic and funny. 

Of course SL has been used as an example of video games being addictive and therefore bad. There have been news stories in the past about people leaving their spouces to run off and live with someone they met in SL. There have been news stories in the past about people neglecting their children because they were obsessively playing in SL. Second Life also makes a good example of the ridiculousness of other people's addictions for an anti-video game documentary because there are plenty of old video clips with crappy-looking avatars in weird settings or with poor animations.

Here's a secret. Documentaries and news stories often contain an implicit bias, the true purpose of which is to titillate their viewers or readers, get them to watch or read, and make them feel superior to the people portrayed in the documentary or story. 

Didn't anyone else think it was funny that a documentary about video game addiction actually made someone want to check out SL? Kind of like stories about all the sex and perversion in SL, right? If people are talking about it, even in a negative way, at least it's on the radar for someone who might otherwise never have bothered to give SL a try.

[Arielle Popstar]

Just now, Luna Bliss said:

The OP thinks , or at least presented as premise, "the real secret of second life" (the title to the thread, you know) is its addictive properties. Agree or disagree?   Can we get back on track?

Maybe it is. Maybe the retention rate is proportional to how fast we can hook newbies into some addictive behaviour.

[Sammy Huntsman]

2 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Is Second Life primarily filled with people who can be defined as clinical addicts?  Can anybody answer this without weird derails?

If not, I think I'll go somewhere where it appears people have a few brain cells left.  Like in SL, where I meet all kinds of people who ARE NOT ADDICTS.

So it's because I am not a "clinical" addict that my issues and points are moot eh? You are absolutely ignorant and delusional here. And yes you are actively derailing this thread Luna. 

And nice way to call us dumb. Oh here is Luna, who knows everything about addiction. Yet when confronted and told she is wrong, by people who are addicts, she actively gaslights and disregards them. 

[Persephone Emerald]

29 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Just because you have been an addict does not man you have any insight into how many people in SL are addicts in the true sense of the word.

Yet you seem to think you do?

Look. We should all realize by now that SL is full of all different kinds of people, from all different backgrounds, and experiencing all different aspects of SL. Those who are involved in self-help or therapy groups might be self-selecting for emotional and mental health problems, which are sometimes co-conquerent with addictions. If you've seen much of the SL club scene, you've probably heard people in voice who sounded like they've been drinking too.

This doesn't mean we're all addicts or using SL in unhealthy ways, but let's be honest with ourselves and admit that SL isn't all rainbows and butterflies. People in SL are just as messed up as they are anywhere else online or in RL.  

Edited April 29 by Persephone Emerald

[Kathlen Onyx]

1 hour ago, Luna Bliss said:

addiction is a much more severe type of habit.

Wrong..addiction is not just a severe type of habit. You are showing your ignorance here Luna.

[Arielle Popstar]

19 minutes ago, Sammy Huntsman said:

So it's because I am not a "clinical" addict that my issues and points are moot eh? You are absolutely ignorant and delusional here. And yes you are actively derailing this thread Luna. 

And nice way to call us dumb. Oh here is Luna, who knows everything about addiction. Yet when confronted and told she is wrong, by people who are addicts, she actively gaslights and disregards them. 

No offense intended to Luna but I do sometimes get the idea that if one was to write all their thoughts and experiences in a book, Luna would be much more likely to give credence to them then if shared in a post. Some people just give more credibility to a book they read then personal experiences.

[Love Zhaoying]

9 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

No offense intended to Luna but I do sometimes get the idea that if one was to write all their thoughts and experiences in a book, Luna would be much more likely to give credence to them then if shared in a post. Some people just give more credibility to a book they read then personal experiences.

Since the other person got blissfully quiet, I'll chime in - I agree with you on this!

Here's the irony: The AA "Big Book", considered the primary authority on dealing with addiction in ALL 12-step programs - has sections devoted entirely to "personal experiences".  The point being, if you see yourself in someone else's story, then you may understand your own situation better.

Not a big "book" written by therapists, clinical types, researchers. A "Big Book" written by people who actually know because they have lived the experience for themselves.  A book with people's actual experiences from almost 100 years ago.

Thank goodness that part of the discussion is over, being pushed around is no fun.

 

[Sammy Huntsman]

1 minute ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Since the other person got blissfully quiet, I'll chime in - I agree with you on this!

Here's the irony: The AA "Big Book", considered the primary authority on dealing with addiction in ALL 12-step programs - has sections devoted entirely to "personal experiences".  The point being, if you see yourself in someone else's story, then you may understand your own situation better.

Not a big "book" written by therapists, clinical types, researchers. A "Big Book" written by people who actually know because they have lived the experience for themselves.  A book with people's actual experiences from almost 100 years ago.

Thank goodness that part of the discussion is over, being pushed around is no fun.

 

No crap, I hated how she was on this. Like oh I know you were an addict, but your point is moot cause I believe medical journals and basically clinical studies. Over that of the actual human experience. 

[Kathlen Onyx]

28 minutes ago, Sammy Huntsman said:

No crap, I hated how she was on this. Like oh I know you were an addict, but your point is moot cause I believe medical journals and basically clinical studies. Over that of the actual human experience. 

She literally quoted WebMD.

[Ineffable Mote]

It all just comes across as avoidance here.

It is what it is, in any case.

[BilliJo Aldrin]

3 hours ago, Persephone Emerald said:

Yet you seem to think you do?

Look. We should all realize by now that SL is full of all different kinds of people, from all different backgrounds, and experiencing all different aspects of SL. Those who are involved in self-help or therapy groups might be self-selecting for emotional and mental health problems, which are sometimes co-conquerent with addictions. If you've seen much of the SL club scene, you've probably heard people in voice who sounded like they've been drinking too.

This doesn't mean we're all addicts or using SL in unhealthy ways, but let's be honest with ourselves and admit that SL isn't all rainbows and butterflies. People in SL are just as messed up as they are anywhere else online or in RL.  

If you are messed up in RL, you are probably gonna be messed up in SL. People join SL for a "fresh start" but they drag all their baggage with them, so they are doomed.

Same as when they create an alt and start over, its no good, they are just kidding themselves, nothing is gonna change for them.

Probably better they face their problems in RL than hiding away in here.