About the Book

EPILOGUE: WHO ARE WE BECOMING?

The virtual world brings with it opportunities to try on new identities, if not explore aspects of our own self that are more difficult to express in a physical realm. This virtual world can provide end-users with  a type of fulfillment unbound by physics, time or space. A world that allows us to pursue certain dreams and possibilities more readily and easily. And, one with an influence in shaping who we are ultimately becoming. There are polar extremes to any debate, and the intersection of self with technology is no different. While some struggle to escape the virtual world that frees them, others find it equally difficult to return to the simplicity of an unplugged life, even if only for a few moments.

Technology will never define us but it certainly allows us to express who we are. For some, the physical world may not always accommodate the “trying on” of different personas, if not the exploration of deeper aspects of one’s personality. A virtual world without time or space also comes without gravity— that which may otherwise hold us back from being more than we are. Despite the complexities, one thing remains clear. While technology alone does not define us, it frees us to explore ambitions, relationships and passions as we simultaneously discover who we are. And, for that reason, it also plays a part in helping us fulfill who we ultimately become.