Abstract
With the launch of the Metaverse in 2021 by the social media platform Facebook, users in the virtual space were required to tether their avatar, and digital self-identity, to their personal FB accounts. Concerns were immediately raised with regard to what identity would mean if users were linked to previous accounts. However, shortly thereafter the company rebranded as Meta, no longer requiring a social media “connective tissue” for the planned digital world that affords 3D interactions, commerce, entertainment and more. The implications of self-fashioning in this new digital space raises many interesting questions. As the virtual self is no longer bound as a singular entity, the choices made in the creation of visual characteristics of avatars will be compounded and the negotiations of identity pluralized. This study presents the results of studies on demographic preferences of avatars and self-representation in digital worlds and the implications for the future of society, including education, work, leisure, and socialization.
Presenters
James HutsonDepartment Head, Art History and Visual Culture, Lindenwood University, Missouri, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Images Do Not Represent Us, They Create Us: The Image and its Transforming Power
KEYWORDS
Avatars, Metaverse, XR, VR, MR, AR, Virtual Reality, Self-Representation
