Written By Sherwood Kohn
Avatar. From the Sanskrit meaning “incarnation.” But in the world of computer games, it stands for a computer representation of the user or player: a kind of doppelganger in the creepy universe of Ultima IV, Age of Conan and Grand Theft Auto.
Avatar. A word appropriate for an era: our era, long divorced from reality, a fantastic projection of personality in denial, a substitution for common sense, an era of dreams – once known as “the American Dream” – now hopefully coming into focus as “the American Awakening.”
We tell our kids to put down the Play Station, wrench themselves from the escapes on the electronic screen, do the real things, like learning, exercising, eating healthy, being creative. But what have we done for the last 30 years?
We have let the avatars take charge. We have let them represent us in a dream world of unregulated greed and avarice. And what has happened? They have played the game in our name, with our blessing. We have trusted avatars to be in charge of our banks, auto industry, education, health care, the infrastructure and the environment, and what have they done?
Nothing. They could do nothing without our realistic guidance. After all, they were only avatars. And so, having done nothing, they (and we) have let things get out of hand. Having surrendered our accountability, we have slid into apathy, and from thence into chaos.
There are signs that we are beginning to get it; beginning to break with our long gaming fantasy; beginning to take charge of our destiny; beginning to assume adult responsibility.
Is this the natural progression of maturation? Is this what happens when a whole generation of spoiled, passive, children finally realizes that they cannot depend on the avatars to make practical decisions in the real world? That they are now grownups and parents whose choices affect not only what goes on in their own homes, but what transpires in their communities, their countries, and even the world at large.
Is this the beginning of – not the Age of Aquarius, that was a lovely dream – but the Age of Responsibility? As it says in the Bible, it is time to put away childish things. And that includes avatars.
