There is a wide range of internet use in the world of today. This fact allows a lot of communication to take place among people from diverse cultures in a virtual world presented by the internet usage. Due to the fact that the players involved in the virtual world come from different cultural backgrounds, they share individual ideas as well as opinions and this promotes Intercultural Communications. The virtual world provides a new conduit of communication between different cultural people who would have not had the chance to communicate otherwise. Online gaming is an example of a virtual world where people meet and interact as they play. The communication in the virtual worlds has benefits in improving intercultural communication, as well as limitations, and if people interact among each other, the benefits overpower the limitations. Therefore, Virtual Worlds act as a means to promote intercultural communications.
While there will always be differences across various cultures, the virtual worlds provide the users of the internet a safe place. People share and contribute to ideas, they are able to clarify their beliefs as well as get rid of one’s religiously biased assumptions. In the virtual world, people are not tied up to their physical constraints and limitations, while being given the freedom to express one’s self-image in an artistic and authentic way (Fouts & King, 2009). People have the freedom that does not exist real world. It is beyond the real world where social as well as economic class does not make sense. Neither gender nor ethnic bias is displayed in the virtual world. Anyone and everyone can take part and interact with the rest of the people. With the virtual world people get to know each other in their daily lives, and therefore promote intercultural communication.
Virtual worlds have resulted into the recognition and understanding of cultures that in the past associated people with some vice to be just like the rest of the cultures, with the both bad and good members. There are a number of virtual worlds increasing from the use of the internet. According to Fouts and King; the second life has turned out to be the most popular virtual world bringing together different people from different cultures; English, Australian, French, Islam among other cultures play a part in Second Life game play (1). Islam is a culture that is prevalently misunderstood by people confusing it with terrorism. As they people from these cultures interact in the online gaming of the second life, they change their preconceptions about Islam. People often fail to realize terrorism can be part of any other culture. However, those who have interacted with the Islam through gaming on second life virtual word have changed their prejudice about it.
Virtual worlds have created intercultural communication channels; where by physical mischief is not possible, as well as issues like race, age and gender at the very first time are not available allowing better communication. This eliminates the prejudice that people would have formed if they had access to such information concerning the culture and the player on second life. The virtual world therefore enables people to begin understanding different cultures without any prejudices allowing the flow of communication to take a different direction. Due to unavailability of physical representation of the players on a virtual world, people get lesser harsh to those they are communicating with improving the intercultural communication.
Virtual worlds can provide a communication channel for intercultural experience, but they may always not be beneficial. For some online players, prejudice still exists. There are moments when some people sign in into server and realize that the language being spoken is different from theirs. While others find that interesting when other cultures participate on the game, some feel angered and form prejudice against the server limiting the improvement of intercultural communication through the virtual worlds. In most cases the English speaking players have engaged the other non English speakers in trash talk due to the fact that they are from different cultures. The fact that there is no physical contact on second life virtual word makes it easier for them to use offensive language against the other players not from their culture. Lastly, the human desire for affection as well as physical expression cannot be expressed in the virtual world. People in the real world may therefore be psychologically disturbed.
In summary, it seems that virtual worlds generate new channels of communication that contribute in improving intercultural communications. Virtual worlds have resulted into the recognition and understanding of cultures that people in the past associated with some vice. Virtual worlds have created intercultural communication channels; where by physical harm is not possible, as well as issues like race, age and gender at the very first time are not available allowing better communication. The virtual worlds provide more benefits in promoting intercultural communication as compared to the limitations they have. Therefore, virtual worlds help improve communication dismissing former preconceptions about certain cultures. Virtual world may have their limitations such as prejudice, but the benefits overwhelm hence promoting intercultural communication.
References
Carnegie Council Launches "Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds". (2009). Retrieved July 3, 2013, from http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/about/announcements/0015.html
Fouts, J. S., & King, R. J. (2009). Understanding Islam through Virtual Worlds (2008-2009). Retrieved July 3, 2013, from http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/programs/archive/002/index.html
