Recreational Holidays

Spending Money In Second Life

Second Life is a virtual world in which every single item and location is designed and created by its users, commonly referred to as ‘residents.’ However, what sets it aside from many other virtual worlds is the fact that it has a booming economy. Even in the face of recession, residents continued to spend Linden dollars in world, purchasing anything from virtual services, to pixel furnishings and virtual clothes for their ‘avatars.’ 2009 saw the economy total 567 million US dollars.

The currency of Second Life is Linden Dollars. They are bought through the exchange, better known as the Lindex. These Linden dollars can then be spent on a variety of goods and services made or offered by other users or residents. The residents earning Linden dollars in Second Life can cash them out into a very real currency! This means that Second Life is actually a means of real income for many people.

But what do the users of Second Life actually buy with their Linden dollars in Second Life? One of the biggest expenses for those who choose to buy it is Second Life land. People often pay a fee in advance and an ongoing monthly fee for the duration that they ‘own’ their land. Many then use this land to set up stores of their own from which to sell their goods, clubs or homes. Significant amounts of money are also spent on avatar appearance items such as Second Life fashion items, skins, virtual hairstyles and all things to make our pixels look good!

There’s also no shortage of cash spent on services in world. These services might include marketing services to enlist the help of specialists in marketing your own products or even on a live musician or comedian to perform at an event at one of the many clubs or live performance venues within Second Life.

While many may complain that it’s simply bizarre to spend money on items that don’t physically exist, Second Life’s economy is providing a real life income for many and continues to grow. Besides, do you spend money on your Internet connection? Can’t really touch that either, can you?

Skylar Smythe