Other then an extension of our humanity we can declare the internet as an extension of our society and physical environment. To truly see this impact we need to take a trip to a society that has fully harmonised every aspect of their life with Internet and technology. Seoul has the fastest Internet connection in the world that extends to their underground system, deeming this South Korean city the most connected in the world.


In Seoul top gamers are national heroes, they are paid annual salaries more then 170 000 dollars and just like professional athletes they appear in commercials and movies, hold events and fan signing. According to Dr Michael Laitman’s theory, because the Internet tears us away from our animal bodies and the physical world, online gamers can establish a higher status using their gaming skills (http://internetrising.net, 2011). In tangent with David Bell’s perspective, even though the status established by online gamers would only be applicable with a community familiar with the culture established because of Seoul’s harmonious lifestyle with the virtual world, majority if not all of the community are familiar. This reflects the online gamers’ virtual achievements in reality. Seoul citizens are experiencing an emergence between the virtual world and reality where their virtual presence are directly impacting their physical world.

Candy bar commercial staring Lim Yo Hwan

Lim Yo Hwan describes his experience “It feels great to be loved by so many people. If you’re a pro you don’t desire to be the top but you desire to be the strongest” In Seoul he is equivalent to Tiger Woods in Golf and Michael Jordan in basketball (Documentary Storm, 2002). Just like Osamu Tezuka’s Atom Boy the youth through their understanding and befriending relationship with technology are empowered and have the potential to be pioneers. So in this sense Anime could’ve in fact been a “coping mechanism for children” as Douglas Rushkoff highlighted, teaching youth how to survive within a society immersed with technology (Rushkoff, 1999).