Jason Rowe

One of the saddest stories to me is the creator of the avatar Rurouni Kenshin. Jason Rowe is a disabled, and feels that he has to socialize through a virtual world called Star Wars Galaxies. One of the reasons he enjoys playing is because people see him for who he is and not what he looks like, “The internet eliminates how you look in real life, so you get to know a person by their mind and personality.” He has this idea that people wouldn’t like him for who he is if he were out in the real world trying to make friends. He spends an average of 80 hours a week playing as his avatar in this virtual world. Some people might find his disability an excuse for him to play, but for some reason I just don’t see the point. I understand that a lot of people would judge him for what he looks like, but why not give it a shot and try to meet someone face to face. I find it unhealthy that he keeps himself locked up inside playing in this fantasy world. Yes, he is getting to live a life that he wouldn’t get to live, but it’s not real. So the question is what is the reward? I feel that the virtual has no meaning and is a meaningless black hole that sucks people’s life away. The virtual world just seems to be a place for people to escape to, because they can’t deal with the reality of life.