The Quest for the Perfect ExerGame

No, this post is not about the wish for a bigger, brighter, sharper flat screen TV. Nor is it about longing for a mobile phone that is yet to come, one that my current model is not worthy to call. Rather it is about a manifestation of what I consider to be the reality of 21st century living where many people exist both in the physical world and in one or more digital worlds.

Last night I had an experience of a “digital dream” in which I was a fugitive being pursued through a digital landscape. The best way I can describe it is something like Logan’s Run meets Second Life. I managed to dodge my pursuers across a bizarre digital landscape with several narrow escapes. Finally I made a bid for freedom by clambering aboard the last train to leave the digital world. I was awoken from my slumber just as the train pulled into my stop. It was a great feeling to be back in the real world. But I wonder, what would have happened if I had missed my stop?

Whilst I am not going to attempt to attribute any meaning to the dream, I would consider to have significance as a sign of the blurring of the boundary between physical and digital worlds. Why does any of this matter? Well, if you are trying to understand human behavior and only pay attention to the influences present in the physical world and neglect to consider the influences that arise in digital worlds, then you are not going to get the complete picture.