I have heard lot of buzz about Second Life and its applications in higher education recently. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first.

Second Life is a virtual world called a metaverse that takes social networking to the next level. Even as a twenty-something young woman who had a front row seat during the meteoric rise of Facebook and MySpace, it was difficult for me to think about Second Life as anything more than entertainment. It was even harder for me to imagine that this platform would ever be embraced by higher education. Nonetheless, I wanted to know more.

In my research, I found that there are endless possibilities for using Second Life in higher education, and there are many colleges and universities who have already taken that step. I spent time on the Second Life site investigating what some schools have done already - and I was impressed. But I remained skeptical that it would have any long term application in higher education. Bottom line - I was intrigued, but not sold on the idea.

Then I had an epiphany in the form of Webkinz. For all of you who, like me, are not currently tackling the role of parenthood, Webkinz are high demand, fancy stuffed animals that come with a code that your child can use to create a virtual version of their pet online. Once logged in, they can dress their pet, decorate their room, and monitor the general health and well being of their new friend.

Why am I telling you about this? How does it apply to Second Life and its future in academia? The answer is simple.

Webkinz is far more than just a computer game, it is a social networking site for very young kids. Once I logged on as Pink the Pig (a loan from Teresa Valerio Parrot's six-year-old daughter), I was able to interact with other children in a virtual world. As Pink, I was able to talk to other kids and make friends, play games, chat, go to parties, go shopping, and even get a job. I realized that Webkinz, and other sites like it, are the reason why Second Life may well become an important communications tool.

Kids are introduced to technology at an increasingly young age, and it will have a profound impact on their lives and their expectations for both entertainment and information. This trend will only continue to grow and become more influential, and the higher education community needs to take notice. In less than a decade, Pink's owner and other Webkinz veterans will be the target demographic for our institutions-what format and message will they expect from us? We need to start thinking about this now.

*Source: Simpson Scarborough, May 17, 2007