pediophobia
noun a fear of children
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One of the things I enjoy most about Second Life is the ability to be comfortable and safe. I can experiment with art and literature. I can experiment with building and scripting. I have control over who can come to my Second Life house. If a griefer attacks me or mine, I can withstand the storm ... and if not, I call Linden Lab and let them deal with it. What I like best about Second Life is the ability to talk to friends from all over the world, and to be expressive in my new-found art: SL photography.
I see lots of people doing various things in Second Life. Role players. People who want to experiment with a new "lifestyle". People who want to meet others with similar interests. Diversity and encouragement abound.
Except when children are mentioned.
Are children avatars allowed in Second Life? Absolutely. Is there sexual deviance related to them going on? Possibly. It's illegal in some countries to even depict sexual activities with a child, even when the person behind the "child" is an adult. I am not here to discuss the pros and cons of such strictures. (I know that there are some cultures where "playing" with a child is encouraged, to get him or her "ready" for adulthood. I'm not here to discuss that, either.)
Is it possible for a child avatar to have a non-sexual life in Second Life? Absolutely. Just as it is possible for an adult avatar to have a non-sexual life in Second Life.
Why would someone WANT to have a child avatar? That's a tough one. Personally, I like who I am. Oh, wait. I'm 6'3", blonde, drop dead georgeous, and about 28 years old. (/me looks at herself, typing.) Well, ok, this is how I WISH I'd looked when I was younger. But why would someone want to be a child? Perhaps because that was the last good time they had, and their life since then has been unhappy? Perhaps because they want to feel loved and warm in a totally non-sexual way? Perhaps because they think they are cute?
I am sick and tired of my friends getting harassed by griefers; people who see a child avatar and automatically think that the person is there for deviant reasons. Please, don't assume the worst of people. Assume the best. You will be pleasantly surprised by how warm and wonderful (all) these people really are!
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God loves everyone. Even you.
2 comments:
I TOTALLY agree with you! I myself have a child avie (and an adult one who is my main) I have her for therapy reasons- it's a good way to work out stress going back to a 5 year old.
My main has 4 kids of her own. All of her kids play kids for different reasons- one is autistic in RL and this is the best way she can get people to talk to her in ways she understands, one grew up in a house where her mom had cancer (so she had no childhood), another grew up with a drunken dad, and the fourth just wants to be a kid.
I've been dealing and helping with children in SL for over a year now and from what I've seen only about 5% of the population of kid avies in SL are sex-oriented, but since the whole child avie scandal everyone thinks that EVERY kid is into it.
I hope people really start to listen soon because I hate seeing these -good- kids be punished for what only a handful did.
/me hands you the missing "a" from paedophilia.
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