Second Life is a virtual reality world that people use to meet others, create things, buy and sell things, work, try things they can’t in real life, and basically create lives that reflect their dreams.
One of the biggest dreams many people have is to find a loving partner that they can connect with on a deep level. In Second Life this can include having deep and meaningful romantic and sexual relationships. This is such a popular pastime that some of the most visited sites in Second Life are romance clubs and hideaways.
But there are three things you shouldn’t do if you’re thinking of dating someone, whether it’s for a long-term relationship or a one-night stand.
1. Don’t bother checking the person’s age.
There is no way to tell someone’s age from their avatar. A 12 year old could be walking around in an adult looking avatar and a 50 year old could be in a 4 year old looking avatar. So how can you verify that the person is an adult and that you are not about to commit pedophilia?
Right click on the person’s avatar, go to Profile and see if it has the words “Payment Information Used”. If they do, it means the person has a credit card or other form of payment linked to their account. Although it is never 100% certain, in most cases this will mean that the person is an adult because most children do not have the ability to pay for their Second Life accounts.
Another way is to have a parcel of land that you have set up to allow only age-verified adults to enter. Second Life’s age verification option is not visible on the person’s profile, but you cannot enter a package that only has age verification. However, most people in Second Life never bother to verify their age in Second Life. I never bothered to do it myself. And if the person didn’t record payment information on their account, which is free and easy to do, then they’re less likely to fail age verification. However, if you’re serious about someone, you can always ask them to do the payment and age verification so you can rest easy. If they’re serious about you, then they’ll be happy to oblige.
2. Not verifying your gender in real life.
I was quite surprised to find out that the majority of Second Life gamers are, in fact, male. Someone gave me an estimate of 80% men and 20% women. There is no way I can verify these numbers, but I do know that there are men walking like women and women walking like men. I myself have known two men who were women in real life.
You may think this is not important as long as the role play is accurate and you are not the only one who feels this way. But many people would not like to fall in love with a man and then find out that she was a woman, or make love to a woman and find out later that she was a man in real life.
If the gender of the other person really matters to you, then there is a possible way to verify their gender in real life. Ask for voice verification.
You can directly ask the person if they are willing to verify their gender through voice. If he says no, it’s up to you to go ahead and date him or not. However, be aware that there are voice generators that will change a person’s voice from male to female or female to male.
3. Not following your instincts.
Last but not least, don’t ignore your instincts!
Like any real life situation, your online experience will give you feedback that will set off red flags in you. If something doesn’t feel right, then it isn’t. If something feels right, then it’s probably right.
