Digital achievement

In this wonderful age of technology, people have come up with all sorts of innovative things to do on the internet.

There are now games with "avatars" that you can create. This avatar represents you in that little digital world. You can pretend to be anything you want, you can do anything you want and you can associate with anybody there. For all you know, you might be interacting with the prince of Saudi Arabia! Everybody's real identity is hidden in that little digital world.

The games also provide you with a fun way to compete and a sense of achievement. It's similar to regular computer games and video games. Only internet games are often totally free. How much better can you get?

A lot of these things can be used for good. I've heard discussions about using these capabilities for education, where you can send your avatar into a digital classroom and go to school without ever even leaving your home. Playing games can be a stress reliever, fun and perhaps educational.

However, these things can be destructive if not used properly. They become dangerous because of the false sense of achievement and relationship building that you get. With hardly any effort, you can win a game or get a girlfriend. It is fun and it is so easy. That's why it is so addictive. But it will never be as fulfilling as a real relationship or a real achievement. Yet people get hooked and they spend all their time on the internet and miss out on life's real opportunities.

That is really sad.