Taking a break from the real world once in a while is inarguably a healthy activity. Whether you’re reading a book, watching a movie, or watching VR porn, putting yourself in somebody else’s shoes (or pants) gives your brain a much needed reprieve from the responsibilities of life.
While escapism is being facilitated by the modern age, it is by no means a new phenomenon. Now if I take a test that separates the men from the boys, only to realize that I am in fact a pretty little girl, I will curl up in the fetal position and immerse myself in the tales Middle Earth or Central Perk to help me forget. Thirty thousand years ago, I might have made cave paintings to help me cope with half my family getting trampled by woolly mammoths.
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As technology progresses, so too does our ability to live vicariously through fiction. With the rate at which we are going, I won't be surprised to see virtual reality Sims where you can play The Sims on your character's computer. Some of the most popular video games are games where you design a character and further his status in a computer generated world. RuneScape, to pick an example, has had over 200 million unique accounts created. That's the population of Brazil. When a single game has the population of the fifth most populous country in the world, I'd say that this cultural phenomenon is rather prevalent. Playing these games is by no means a destructive hobby, but when it becomes less of a hobby and more of a way of life does it become an issue? Basic rule of thumb: if your virtual character is getting it more than you are, it's time to straighten out your priorities.
As we get older, we are faced with more and more responsibility, and the temptations of escape become more and more tantalizing (unless you are one of the fortunate people who have achieved some level of emotional maturity), but we must remember that even though life is dark and full of terrors, that's what makes it life. Nothing that is worth having in life comes easily. Like dating Emma Watson. Sure, you can name a Sims character after her and wife her with relatively no hassle, but nobody cares! At least that's what my mom keeps telling me.
