Second Life is an online multimedia platform that allows people to create an avatar for themselves and then interact with other users and user-created content within a multi-user online virtual world. It was developed and launched by Linden Lab in 2003 and has seen rapid growth over the years, with approximately one million regular users in 2013. Second Life is not a game, but rather an open-ended experience where users can create, explore, and interact with other avatars, places, or objects. Some key features of Second Life include:

• Avatar Creation: Users create virtual representations of themselves, called avatars, which can be customized to their liking.

• User-Generated Content: Second Life allows users to create virtual objects and other content, which they retain all the rights to. This means they can use Second Life to distribute and sell their creations, with 2.1 million items listed on its online marketplace.

• Virtual Economy: Second Life has its own virtual currency, the Linden Dollar, which can be exchanged for real money. Users can purchase virtual real estate, frequent virtual churches or clubs, and move about a sprawling virtual world as they please.

• Social Space: Second Life can be a real-time, immersive social space for people, including those with physical or mental disabilities that impair their first lives, who often find comfort and security interacting through anonymous avatars.

• Educational Uses: Real universities have hosted classes and lectures in the Second Life world, and additional developments have been researched to extend the program’s educational uses.

Second Life is not a passing fad, and it has been used for a variety of purposes, including socializing, shopping, and even virtual workplaces. However, it has also faced controversy over the years, with accusations of unpunished theft and a lack of customer support causing uproar among users.