Virtual Marriage

Shalina Silva

Prof

Virtual Marriage

24 March 2007

Virtual Marriage : A game ? A life

The Cyberspace is a virtual reality plane that exists in the internet It is a virtual world , a community , a society where everything is as possible as reality . It is populated by cyber people commonly called as netizens . Back in the late 90 's , an online game The9 City (http /city .the9 .com , was launched in China to introduce the idea of a virtual community . The game was easily accepted by the people and because of

it 's one of a kind qualities in a game , it spread out across the urban areas as fast as it was expected . It had been quite a storm that hit China by year 2000 when The9 City 's registered residents exceeded 1 million . Now it has over 14 million registered users , most between the ages of 15 and 28 .1

As a netizen , you can get a virtual identity , get a virtual home , a job a car , friends , partners , and even a family . For some it is a way to pass time , nothing serious . You get to have virtual relationships virtual dates , and eventually can lead to virtual marriage . Virtual marriage is a form of a marital

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1 http /www .corp .the9 .com /products /city .htm

relationship within the cyber world by two consenting adults in the virtuous world , but it doesn 't necessarily mean consenting adults of the real world . To some this is just a game for fun . But being too much involved or to your `virtual family ' would somehow affect your daily connection with your real family . One would be spending more time on the computer talking to a virtual wife and family than taking some quality time with the real wife and kids . A virtual dad whose age 30 in the virtual city can actually be a teenage boy age 15 in the real world would already be working and taking care of a wife and kids of his own in his virtual home . Posing as the man of his house would expose him too early for his age to fatherhood and familial responsibility that could possibly harm his young mind . It can also cause some confusion to young teenagers . However , to some it is merely a game not to be taken by heart "The on-line marriage is just a kind of game in the virtual world Actually , the course of on-line marriage is quite similar to the real one . Except for meeting each other , almost all things in real marriage can be done virtually . If the couple can 't stand each other anymore they can divorce and marry others in the virtual community . Frankly speaking , it 's interesting and I like it (Jing Hong , netizen ) 2

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2 Jing Hong http /www .chinadaily .com .cn /english /doc /2005-06 /07 /content_449284 .htm "The virtual community of The9 is popular among my classmates . There you can have a home , a job and you can...