As a society, we are becoming increasingly isolated, and the internet is often blamed for this trend. However, the internet can also bridge this gap, as demonstrated by a recent virtual trip that brought thousands of people together.
This event was made possible through an online game, which resembles a giant road trip. Its founder, Neal Agarwal, refers to it as a “road trip simulator,” based on Google’s Street View.
During the journey, participants vote every ten seconds on where the “car” should travel next. They can also vote to make the car honk its horn or change the radio station. The option that receives the most votes is selected, and the car continues to drive in the direction chosen by the players.
The virtual road trip moves very slowly, even slower than walking. People who help run the game have to tell new players not to expect to get to places like the Pyramids in Egypt from Chicago quickly. It would probably take almost ten months in real life to drive that far in the game.
But “Internet Roadtrip” isn’t as crazy. This is partly because only around a thousand people play at once. Also, we have better ways to organize things now, like using Discord. The organizers could add more players at a time to make it much more interesting. If you want a little trip from the museum to the park, it’s fun to play.