Any doubts we may have about the postmodern condition being more than a passing fad will have to confront today's press release from Reuters. I am not sure when was the last time (if ever) that Reuters released as story about itself; but it did so today to announce the opening of its "virtual news bureau" in Second Life. What is particularly interesting about this effort is the extent to which it is a dual endeavor:"In 'Second Life,' we're making Reuters part of a new generation," Reuters Chief Executive Tom Glocer said in a statement. "We're playing an active role in this community by bringing the outside world into 'Second Life' and vice versa."
"Second Life" citizens can stay tuned to the latest headlines by using a feature called the Reuters News Center, a mobile device that users can carry inside the virtual environment. Stories will focus on both the fast-growing economy and culture of "Second Life" and also include links to Reuters news feeds from the outside world, ranging from Baghdad to Wall Street.
One wonders to what extent the "vice versa" will continue in the form of "standard" Reuters releases starting to cover events with Second Life.
So what is happening here? Do we now have a population that is so inured to seeing the world through their computer screens that "reality is too much with them?" Sherry Turkle tried to argue otherwise when the BBC ran a story about Second Life, but she may be too deep in her Life on the Screen mentality to see this in a broader context. The postmodern condition that this represents may well be a retreat into a world of fictions by those who seek a world that offers a stronger sense of empowerment and control.
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