Evidence Based Post # 4 - SECOND LIFE & AVATARS

Evidence Based Post # 4 - SECOND LIFE & AVATARS

Before taking this graduate class, I had never heard of “Second Life.” Now I can say I know what it is. Yet, for me I can say that “Ignorance is Bliss” when I didn’t know about a site that millions of people are logging on and interacting daily through instant messaging, chat sessions, buying of property and meeting people in virtual reality. In virtual reality individuals are always disguising their identities. Creating an avatar that an individual would like to be in real life, now that’s scary. Yet, the reality is that we do it all the time. Subconsciously on some level we want to be the avatar we created. Yes, there are advantages of using Second Life by showing Power Points, instant messaging and chatting with classes with 3 d created avatars. Even after learning about Second Life, am I going to use it outside of the graduate program? The probability would be small. I’m not quite sure what the fascination is with this site besides being able to walk and fly your avatar. That’s just my opinion. For other’s, I’m thinking the fascination is being able to disguise oneself and meet people they wouldn’t otherwise meet in real life.

Teens and adult women are the fastest growing group of individuals who are using the internet for chatting, instant messaging, shopping, downloading music, and creating 3 dimensional avatars. “In the article Tech and the City posted by Ella Morton, she has researched and discovered that there are 4 types of avatars that individuals create:
1.) The Faux-Nonchalant Self-Portrait- uploaded pictures of the individual,
2.) The Pop-Culture-Icon Icon (Type A: Genuine) the avatar is a celebrity, or a character from a film or from a television show that the individual is a fan of
3.) The Pop-Culture-Icon Icon (Type B: Ironic) Icons featuring pop culture figures often reflect this desire to ironically worship those who represent failure, dagginess and ineptitude. ie. Tom Cruise famous episode of jumping on Oprah's couch where users made icons of Tom Cruise killing Oprah with his laser-beam eyes and
4.) The Icon of Shameless Exhibitionism - were individuals, especially women, who upload photos of themselves in skimpy outfits who disclose their full names and other identifying details.”[1]


In other article written by John Suler called, “ The Psychology of Avatars and Graphical Space in Multimedia Chat Communications, he poses the question, What kinds of avatars do members create for themselves? Some are pictures of icons borrowed from internet archives, scanned from hardcopy, or taken from other digital sources. Users might edit or combine these pictures according to their particular tastes. Some artistic members create props from scratch, although he says that this is a fairly rare or envious skill. The technical and artistic ability one demonstrates through personal avatars is an important source of self-esteem and social status.”[2]

In the same article, Suler also found “that another simpler approach to categorizing avatars would be to group them according to general visual types. Each one conveys interesting psychological and social themes which in some cases overlap with the personality types. Here are a few examples of some of the very many different types of avatars there are: Personality types, Visual types, Animal, Cartoon, Celebrity, Evil, Real Face, Idiosyncratic, Positional, Power, Seductive an Other Avatars a category completely different from those already listed.”[3] Which One Are You?

In the world of make believe, it’s just that make believe. People leave the real world and indulge in their fantasies. In “Second Life,” “The Palace,” and other sites 3-d avatars are dating, having relationships with one another, and getting married online. Also, police are monitoring sites to catch pedophiles. Since millions of people can disguise themselves in any form or type of avatar, regardless of what they may look like in real life, it’s hard to know what kind of person is really behind the avatar. These sites also have pedophiles who proposition and entice teens. Men have been known to take on the gender of a female avatar as an easier way to approach and talk to girls. Why are millions of people so trusting to the 3d created avatars they are talking too online? People naturally crave attention and seek approval that they do not get in real life. The dangers of these resulting in live face to face interactions is high- even resulting in kidnappings and death.

I know that I am very weary when it comes to creating an avatar for cyber space. Yet, the truth is that there are far more “lunatics and crazy people” out there than “normal people.” So, I’ll be safe and be an avatar in the Second Life cyber classroom.









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[1] Morton, Ella. Tech in the City -Superstars and Avatars. http://www.zdnet.com.au/blogs/techandthecity/soa/Superstars-and-avatars/0,139033352,339270872,00.htm

2 Suler, John. The Psychology of Avatars and Graphical Space in Multimedia Chat Communications.
http:// www.rider.edu/suler/psycyber/psyav.html

3 ibid.