When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn What Does Real Life Mean?
Real life is a term used to describe people, events and activities that occur outside of the virtual realm of fictional characters from books, movies, games or particularly the Internet. At present, the term mostly refers to life “offline” or away from the Internet, even spawning the acronym “IRL” which stands for “in real life,” suggesting that what happens on the Internet is not tied to “real life.”
Techopedia Explains Real Life
The term “real life” can be used in many different contexts. It is sometimes used derisively when a user deems a certain activity or lifestyle to be considered sub-par or unworthy, such as when adults consider academic life as not yet the “real world,” but for a student whose time is consumed by school, that is indeed the real world or real life.
In terms of technology, real life most commonly refers to interactions or facts that are separate from the Internet. Because of the anonymity brought by the Internet and the various subcultures within it such as chatting, forums and online games as well as fantasy and fan-fiction writing communities, people treat everything that goes on in and around the Internet as completely separate from real life, prompting the disclaimer word “IRL” if someone wants to discuss something which occurs offline.
