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Volume 4: No. 3, July 2007
About This Image
Virtual worlds have increased in visual detail and complexity,
facilitated by excellent graphics cards and high-speed Internet
connectivity, but as social networks they are still maturing.
Victorian-era mechanical devices, such as the telegraph, facilitated not
only rapid information transmission but also social exchange among
people
far distant from one another (1). Twentieth century technology went
beyond signals to sounds and visuals, such as radio and television, to
connect people and places with actual and vicarious experiences. In the
21st century, the growth of the Internet has contributed to the
emergence of virtual communities featuring “avatars,” graphic
self-representations created by Internet users for participation in
online social networks.
Hygeia Philo (Greek for “lover of health”) is the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) lead avatar in the virtual world of Second Life
(www.secondlife.com *), a visual three-dimensional space known as a metaverse.
Carrying CDC’s mission into this new frontier, Hygeia has hosted a health
fair and staffed a traveling health exhibit, and the avatar maintains a permanent
location to conduct health education. Social networking and interaction are
key elements of metaverse involvement, and participating in this new channel
of information dissemination adds to public health’s traditional tools and
methods of reaching specialized audiences.
This issue of Preventing Chronic Disease explores the
recommendations of the Expert Panel on Community Health Promotion, including
the panel’s recommendation to establish online communities for sharing
information and promoting dialogue on evidenced-based approaches to
community health. Through involvement with existing online communities, such
as Hygeia’s presence in Second Life, public health professionals can gain an
understanding of the capability of these technologies as they mature in
sophistication, explore the interests and needs of the individuals and
groups that participate, and develop the most effective approaches in
reaching out to communities.
References
- Standage T. The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the
Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century’s On-Line Pioneers. New York,
NY: Walker & Company; 1998.
Cover artist: John Anderton
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