The Virtual Life : Escapism and Simulation in Our Media World

Foreword xi Jerry Sadowitz Introduction 1(6) Part I: This Virtual Life Perception and Representation 7(24) Perception 8(10) Illusion, magic and the paranormal 18(5) Representation in the arts and the media 23(4) The false world of fame 27(4) Reality, Deception and Spin 31(22) Reality TV 32(5) Truth, lies and deception 37(5) Spin in politics 42(6) Spin in the media 48(5) Part II: Escapism What is Escapism? 53(20) Definitions of escapism 53(3) What is this `reality' we are escaping from? 56(2) What are the popular escapist activities? 58(7) Our hierarchy of needs 65(2) Escapism, transcendence and escape 67(3) What motivates escapism? 70(3) Healthy and Unhealthy Escapism 73(20) `Flight from reality' 74(1) Positive uses of escapism 75(2) Escapism in psychology and psychonalaysis 77(2) Escapism and pastimes -- how we structure time 79(1) Escapism as denial 80(1) Unhealthy escapism -- the addictions 81(12) What Defines the Escapist? 93(16) Defining the `escapist' 94(6) Escapism and creativity 100(2) Escapism and procrastination 102(3) Escapism and romance 105(1) Victims of new technology 106(1) Male-female differences 106(2) A typical escapist profile 108(1) Escapism in the Arts and the Media 109(34) Escapism in film 110(3) Escape through humour 113(6) Escapism in literature -- from Don Quixote to Catch-22 119(24) Part III: Simulation Simulation and Creativity in Human Evolution 143(21) Imagination, the double-edged sword 144(2) Incubation in creativity 146(2) Science fiction 148(4) Robots and androids 152(3) Cyborgs 155(1) Expert systems and simulated worlds 156(2) Artificial intelligence 158(4) The new genetics -- cloning, biotechnology, genetic modification 162(2) Games 164(19) Historic contests 164(2) Games as simulations of aggression 166(1) Games and pastimes 167(3) Computer and video games 170(2) Positive uses of games 172(1) Video games and aggression 173(2) Other effects of video and computer games 175(2) Games and film 177(2) Death in games 179(2) The future of computer games 181(2) From Cartoon to Virtual Reality 183(22) Puppets and cartoons 186(1) Computer graphics and animation 186(2) Virtual Environments (VEs) 188(1) Avatars -- cyber androids 189(4) Virtual reality 193(12) The Net 205(21) Computer phobia 206(3) The N-Generation 209(1) Internet addiction 210(4) Literature on the Net 214(1) The sociology of the Net 215(1) Online sex 216(2) The expanding Net -- convergence and new media 218(8) Into the Future -- The knotty problems of cyberspace 226(32) Utopia or dystopia? 227(7) Virtual workplaces and teleworking 234(3) Cultural impacts of new technology 237(2) Privacy and surveillance 239(3) A cyberculture underground? 242(1) Individualism and the Net 243(1) The Internet and the law 244(2) Censorship of the new mass media 246(5) What will be the effects of future technology on people? 251(7) References 258(11) Index 269(6) About the Author 275