Virtuality

At the most basic level, virtuality refers to a condition or location outside the real; it is usually understood as the opposite of reality. The term has a rich history of usage in media studies scholarship, in the popular press, in traditional and interactive fiction, and in many other contexts. Virtuality may refer to simulations, to processes of imagination, or to any other kind of activity that takes place at least partially outside the physical world. Although it is a term most often associated with new media technologies, the term virtual predates digital technologies and has a long history in philosophy and literature, among other fields.

Outside electronic contexts, virtual might refer to something being either “in effect” or “almost” real (as in “Beatlemania is a virtual cult” or “That cubic zirconia ring is virtually as beautiful as a diamond ring”). It may also refer to something being created mentally (“I can imagine myself virtually sitting on a park bench”). However, the term virtuality almost always refers to simulation of reality through the use of digital technologies. Common examples of virtuality would include video games (especially titles that employ virtual reality), Web-based communities, online libraries, online storefronts, or online classrooms.

Scholarship on virtuality in digital contexts is wide-ranging in that it covers instances of virtuality as they occur in practice, the philosophy of virtuality, the technologies that make virtuality possible, and the effects of virtuality on real-world experiences and interactions. Across this scholarship certain trends have emerged that, collectively, create a better [Page 428]understanding of how the term virtuality might be understood in specific contexts. For example, in politics, virtuality might refer to the ability of voters to engage with candidates via social networking technology, to vote for a candidate through an online system, to share opinions and organize through Web-based communities, or otherwise to use technology in order to participate in political affairs. In romantic relationships, virtuality might refer to practices as wide-ranging as real world couples sending one another digital gifts via social networking sites to cybersex to developing a relationship with a graphical manifestation of artificial intelligence software. These activities are “virtual” because they have a historical, actual counterpart in material, physical practices of political or social engagement.

New media technologies have changed how we think about everything from relationships to politics to entertainment. The term virtuality is used to refer to a simulated reality through the use of digital technology, including video games, Web-based communities, or virtual classrooms.

(http://Photos.com)

Because of the scope of the study of virtuality, there is widespread debate about its impact both in specific arenas such as those mentioned above and on public and private culture more broadly. Specifically, it is useful to consider virtuality from the perspectives offered by several leading thinkers on the subject so as to get a sense of the critical landscape.