They are avatars, but most of the ones you interact with have actual human beings behind them. I've had a lot of emotional highs and lows that can be traced to interacting with the PEOPLE in
SL. In many ways it's "safer" than interacting in real life. I used it at one point to work on my social skills, which are better today than they were when I joined, partially
because I joined. I visited a girl I met in
SL twice. I met friends who I love(d) like brothers. I saw the whole spectrum of human emotion - love, hate, despair, elation, boredom. I saw everything from coquettishness to lovers' mind games to shrewd business sense to manipulativeness to bullying. I went to parties where I got away with shit that would get you arrested & possibly committed in real life. I met some of the chillest people I have ever known. I used
SL to keep my programming skills sharp, and to prove to myself that I can do EXTREMELY tricky shit without anyone to lean on.
Right now I am finding it more interesting to do all these things in the real world, but maybe someday I will make
SL almost as big a part of my life like it was before. It was the majority of my social scene for close to five years, which I honestly think is a little unhealthy, but with a proper first life as an anchor I could enjoy it again someday.
I will tell you one thing. Having someone to hold every weekend beats the shit out of having to get on a jet liner a couple times a year.
SL love has turned into marriage for some people but it def. sucks shit in many ways compared to dating people who live nearby.