Virtual worlds: A new opportunity for people with lifelong disability?

The use of technology and the Internet in our society is increasing. In Norway, for example, about 85% of the population use the Internet monthly (Gallup, 2008). There is every indication that this number will increase, based on the current development of a new IP-address system to handle the IP shortage we will encounter (Tseng, Lee, Kung, Chou, & Chen, 2005). People use the Internet for a range of activities including private and business purposes, and in particular for maintaining and developing social contact (di Gennaro & Dutton, 2007). Indeed, communication through social networking sites where the main focus is on creating and maintaining friendships is increasingly important to individuals, including young people (di Gennaro & Dutton, 2007). Online social network sites such Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are used for sharing information about day-to-day life with friends and family, and for connecting with strangers who share the same interests (Subrahmanyam, Reich, Waechter, & Espinoza, 2008). With the help of an avatar—a three-dimensional online character that is created in the virtual world to represent the user and can be personalised in the greatest detail— social interaction with strangers and friends can occur in virtual worlds, like Second Life. Being equipped with both a first and a last name, the avatar can be seen as an embodiment of the user’s real self within a virtual world. Virtual worlds