When Technology Gets Creepy: Giving Birth in Second Life

There's plenty of real-life drama to go around in the land of virtual worlds. And given what a major part sex plays in Second Life, it's not altogether shocking that one activity gaining traction is the chance to give virtual birth [link not in any way safe for work]. Avatars are able to get pregnant the (virtual) old-fashioned way, and can choose the location in which they deliver. The whole process is mighty up close and personal, and results in a somewhat surreal-looking newborn avatar. The details often depart substantially from reality—babies are typically born in a matter of minutes, and sometimes emerge from the womb wearing cute onesies or resembling teddy bears—but the general experience is nonetheless captured. The births have even made waves in the (real) midwife community, with a midwives' group setting up meetings and performing deliveries within the virtual world as an opportunity for professional education. Here's a pretty typical example [Warning: Not really suitable for children, or most adults, for that matter]: