eSAFETY GUIDE

Second Life

16+
Minimum age according to Second Life
16+ Minimum age according to Second Life

What is Second Life?

Second Life is an online 3D virtual world. People who use Second Life are called ‘Residents’. Residents use their own customisable avatar to move around and take part in the virtual world. Residents can do things like interact and socialise with other avatars, explore places, and create and build things.

There are many different places and activities Residents can explore in Second Life. They can teleport to different destinations. They can also attend events that happen in real time, like concerts, classes and workshops.

Residents create most of the places and items in Second Life, using the platform’s building tools. This includes places like beaches, cities, and fantasy worlds, as well as things like clothes, homes, furniture, events and other virtual items.

Residents can communicate with each other in a number of different ways:

  • Text chat – Residents can have public text conversations with people who are nearby, as well as one-on-one private text conversations with other Residents anywhere in the virtual world.
  • Voice chat – Residents can speak with people nearby using their device’s microphone or have private one-on-one voice calls with another user anywhere in the virtual world. They can also participate in group voice calls (voice conversations with multiple users).
  • Friend requests and friend lists – Residents can add each other as friends to make it easier to stay in contact.
  • Gestures – animations or sounds that someone’s avatar can use to express emotions or actions – for example waving or clapping.
  • Notecards – a digital note that Residents can send to each other.

The voice chat features can be disabled in certain regions.

Creating an account and exploring Second Life is free. However, the platform also has a large virtual economy where users can buy and sell virtual goods, services and land. These purchases use a virtual currency called ‘Linden dollars’, which can be bought with real money. They can also be earned by selling goods or offering services within the game. Second Life also has an official virtual currency exchange called the ‘LindeX’. . To buy and sell Linden dollars on the LindeX, you must have a payment method (such as PayPal or Visa) linked to your account.

Second Life uses three maturity ratings: General, Moderate and Adult. Users aged 16 or 17 can only access regions rated General. Users aged 18 and older can access General and Moderate regions by default, and can choose to enable access to Adult regions in their settings. Sexual content forms a significant part of some Second Life communities, although the platform is also used for many non-sexual activities.

Website: secondlife.com

How do people use Second Life?

Learn more about the benefits and risks associated with how people use virtual worlds like Second Life.

Second Life is used for: anonymous communication, encrypted, gaming, in-app purchasing, messaging/online chat, online relationships, screen capture and video calling.

How can you report online abuse, ask for content to be removed or block someone?

These links are provided by Second Life:

Key safety links

These links are provided by Second Life:

  • Maturity ratings
    Provides information about maturity ratings which outline the types of content and behaviours allowed in different areas of Second Life.
  • Community standards
    Outlines what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour when using Second Life.
  • Shopping fraud and other scams
    Offers practical tips to protect against scams, phishing and disputes between Second Life players.
  • Terms and conditions
    The terms you agree to when you use Second Life.

Related eSafety links

Find other resources to help keep you safe online:

Other eSafety Guides:

About this Guide

This guide is provided by the eSafety Commissioner to help people stay safe online and better understand digital platforms.

Social media changes

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms are not allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account.

Find out more at eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub.

About The eSafety Guide

The eSafety Guide helps you find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites. Entries are for information only and are not reviews, endorsements or assessments against any legislative definition by eSafety. Before choosing to use any online service or platform it’s best to:

  • do your own research to understand the risks and benefits
  • check the age rating and requirements
  • consider privacy
  • check the permissions and other settings
  • check the in-app reporting options.

If you are a parent or carer who is deciding whether a child should be allowed to use an online service or platform, you can also:

  • consider your child's readiness for the types of content and experiences they might encounter
  • help them understand what to do if they need help
  • provide ongoing support and monitoring, for example through regular check-ins with your child
  • agree to some rules about use of each service or platform.

To find out more, you can read the App checklist for parents, as well as information about parental controls in social media, games and apps and mental wellbeing resources for families.