Choosing Virtual Reality Over, Well, Reality

William Saletan:

It has come to this: A child starved to death while her parents cared for an imaginary child instead.

It happened in South Korea. A man and woman met online. Their online relationship became physical. They made a real baby.

But the baby was troubled. She was premature. Her parents never named her.

Instead, they found another child to raise. She was healthy, happy, and beautiful. She lived in a world called Prius Online. It's a 3-D-graphics-enhanced universe where you can find new friends, a new job, and a new child. Her name is Anima.

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Maybe this is just a weird story about a sick couple on the other side of the planet. But look in the mirror. Every time you answer your cell phone in traffic, squander your work day on YouTube, text a colleague during dinner, or turn on the TV to escape your kids,you're leaving this world. You're neglecting the people around you, sometimes at the risk of killing them.

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So get the h--- out of here. Go kiss your spouse, hug your kids, or walk down the hall and say hello to your colleagues. There's a beautiful world out there. Live in it.