Tragic Death of Baby Demands The Virtual World Community Dig Deeper and Look in the Mirror

I didn't click the link to the Gamer's Tot Dies of Starvation headline when it popped up in my virtual world feed on Thursday. I assumed it was a tabloid story making a dubious connection between the horrific death of a child and a parent's coincidental participation in an online game. Three days and hundreds of articles later it seems clear that there was a deep connection between the parents' participation in virtual worlds and the eventual neglect-induced death of their 3-month-old daughter.

Although sensational headlines such as Girl starved to death while parents raised virtual child in online game are overly-simplistic, the underlying tragedy demands that those of us who are active in the avatar community dig deeper into our own virtual lives:

• Does the time and energy we devote to online activity negatively impact our families to any substantive degree? Don't just say no. Ask them.

• Are there any important physical world tasks that are being neglected while we spend time in virtual worlds? Career? Education? What else?

• Is there an addictive or compulsive quality to our own use of virtual worlds, social networks or other online activity?  Does the thought of being forced to spend a week totally off the network make you flinch? How about a month? A year? 

The most active and outspoken members of the avatar community are usually so focused on defending the legitimacy of virtual worlds that we tend to off-handedly shrug off these kind of questions. I think it's time we take a hard, clear-eyed look in the mirror.

Protesters Struggle With Aftermath of Abortion Doctor's Death

This political cartoon was inspired by a headline in yesterday's New York Times.