Have you seen the Avatar movie yet?  The record breaking blockbuster 3D science fiction movie that has become the highest grossing film of all time, even beating Titanic, that held the record for 12 years!  Avatar has grossed over $2 billion – Wow!!

Without giving too much away… it is set in the future, humans are mining a precious metal on Pandora, a lush moon orbiting the planet Polyphemus.  Pandora is occupied by a peaceful local tribe called the Na’vi, which the humans clash with. Humans have created avatars to interact with the blue skinned Na’vi on Pandora because the atmosphere is poisonous to humans.  The avatars are controlled by humans with a similar genetic makeup, through mental telepathy.

Jack Sully a former marine, who is now in a wheel chair, becomes an avatar and is sent on a mission to infiltrate the Na’vi.  But he falls in love and … aghh I am afraid I cant tell you more… if you are one of those people that haven’t seen it, I advise you to go.

They are now talking about a sequel because of the huge success of Avatar. And there is even an iPhone game developed by Gamesloft.

Apparently people are even feeling depressed and suicidal because they cannot visit the beautiful planet, Pandora. What? Yes, indeed, it is called the “Avatar Effect”.  Will this go down in the medical books as a clinical disease? James Cameron created such a beautiful, perfect world that fans cannot cope with the dullness of the real world and their own lives.

People have been going crazy on the internet and in forums, discussing the Na’vi and their world.  Is this escapism at its extreme?   Will we need these sort of fantasy worlds and lives, to travel to and experience in the future, because Earth is not good enough?

I hope your hobby is not this extreme and brings a healthy balance to your everyday life!