"we use it as an escape from our regular lives", to which I asked, "how is that different from the escape that non-digital media offers?" to which he replied...
"digital escape is more available, it's easier". He referenced a documentary called "Virtual Adultery and Cyberspace Love", which was about an online MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) called "Second Life" where the player can assume a "second life" and interact with other players online. He said that in the documentary a woman flirted with another player behind her husbands back. He used this documentary to support his arguments, I'm assuming that the woman wanted release from her husband so she decided to flirt with another man, seemingly without any consequences. The first part of his argument was just regurgitated, he just answered, "we use it as an escape" which most people would say, when I clarified and extended my question he gave a more thoughtful answer. My question sounded conventional at first but after I clarified it to compare digital to non-digital alternate realities he could think outside of what he was told.
I then asked people on the street a similar question, "Why is the internet so addictive?" to which people responded...
"You can get instant gratification out of the internet, you can get whatever you want" and
"Because there's so much information you can find on it", these answers were somewhat regurgitated, admittedly I could have rephrased the question better, I tried to make the question sound simpler but people decided to replace the word "addicting" with "good". I acknowledge that I may have phrased my question to be more common, but I think people who simply "regurgitate" answers will misinterpret questions so they can give easier answers that they've heard, they prefer to answer the easier question so they only hear the easier question.
I then asked a friend of mine who I asked the original question to, since I had more time with this person I could explain the question and get a detailed answer, they said...
"because it's usually interactive, both with like, non player characters and in online communities with real people as well, so it's a very social kind of thing. not to mention the fact that computer graphics are three dimensional and pretty and can do things that you dont really see in movies (not counting animated movies) and books. also it's fun to control the action in the story rather than just watch it unfold"
This answer is well thought out in my opinion, my friend was able to answer an uncommon question with an uncommon answer. The question I'm asking can have several layers of depth, depending on how deep you go your answer will be more or less common. People who actually think about these comments will go much deeper than people who don't. A very deep answer will connect to the persons inner psychology and what makes a person subconsciously addicted to digital virtual reality, an uncommon answer would just list reasons why the person likes digital virtual reality. My friend was able to get to a mid-level of depth and address the interactive and visual aspect that makes people like digital virtual reality.
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