final thoughts
Where does this analysis leave us then, if not at an understanding of Second Life as a complex entity that pushes our notions of cultural identity, societal equality, and traditional notions of international politics. Most certainly, Second Life falls short of its capability to be a digital utopia. This should come as no surprise - utopia inherently refers to 'no place', an image we have of what could be but never will. While rejecting the imperialist nature of global corporations, Residents in Second Life nonetheless embrace a sense of consumerism that can only be understood as of Western descent. While this is troublesome at times, it need not negate the positive lessons Second Life proposes in relation to the construction and experimentation of the post-modern self. Second Life and other burgeoning metaverses are far from perfect, but they do represent a different and unique narrative in relation to how we approach cultural imperialism from the standpoint of contemporary society. As more people move online, and inevitably more experiment with virtual worlds, perhaps the cosmopolitan nature of Second Life will grow even further. An opposite outcome, with Second Life becoming defined solely by consumerism, is equally as possible.
It is of absolute importance at this point for me to admit my own failings as a researcher in regards to Second Life and the community I found therein. To say I was hesitant to engage with Second Life would be an understatement - it was a place that initially frustrated me as I found it foreign to my sensibilities and difficult to understand. I exhibited many, if not all, the traits I have previously laid out as characteristic of 'digital orientalism'. Without engaging in the community, I failed to make any meaningful strides in my research, reverting back to assumptions, hunches, and preconceived ideas I had about metaverses in general and Second Life in particular. As I began this project at the height of what I know see as an insecure backlash from both the journalism and business communities, I found myself aping many of the claims these two groups were making. Most of all, I simply could not understand why someone would abandon their 'first life' for a second one. While I am by no means proud of such a history, I am happy to recognize it in the past tense. After pushing myself to engage with the community, and engaging more deeply with previous research on digital communities and identity construction, my respect and understanding grew as did the complexities I saw.
It was much easier for me to understand Second Life in generalizations. As it threatened the societal and cultural sensibilities I have relied on for my existence as a teenager and adult, relying on sweeping claims about who was doing what where in Second Life made its complexities far easier to digest it with more ease. It fit neatly into my worldview, although this fit was always uncomfortable.
Like Said, I have no capacity to show "what the true Orient" - in my case the culture in Second Life - is. My inclinations tell me that Second Life is not a utopia, digital or otherwise. With this said, it has immense ability to function for societal good, both from the standpoint of cross-cultural communication and for the exploration of self. Perhaps it is the name Second Life that causes so much trouble as it threatens notions of what our First Life must be. Rather than focus on these two notions as dichotomies, we would do better to recognize both in the same manner as we view identity in contemporary society, as fluid definitions, neither rigid nor defining, that allow us to better understand bout ourselves and those around us.