During my experiences in YoVille I’ve noticed some interesting factors in the identity of avatars. Everyone has a different perspective which sometimes does not completely come out in everyday life. Virtual worlds, such as YoVille, allow people from all over the world to come together and act however they want because of the safety behind a computer. Along with this sense of safety, people seem to exert a strong confidence throughout virtual interactions in the event rooms in YoVille. These event rooms in YoVille are where people meet and you can jump from event to event, meeting new people. The events people create in YoVille are a direct representation of their identities. Simple titles of events rooms ranged from “House Party” to “Prom”, while some where more extreme like “I’m single & pregnant “and “Married and looking”. Not only do the event names say a lot, the people who visit these rooms also give hints about their own identity.
I visited almost all of the event rooms in YoVille, and for the most part, nothing changed. The confidence and boldness continued to appear in conversations in the room. Normally if someone said something you didn’t like, you wouldn’t necessarily make a big deal about it, or even say anything. In these online conversations, people have the ability to escape the situation, so they are more open about what they will say. I think this boldness stems from the ability to be able to close the page, log off, leave the event or any other simple and fast way to leave to confrontation. Throughout conversations I was involved in, simple questions were asked. Most people asked about age first, which is one of the most controlling factors of your identity. Other questions asked were “what is your name”, “where are you from”, and “what are your interests”. These questions are all about identity, and the key components of what makes you, you.
Another aspect of identity is how you want to appear online. Your avatar represents you online, and you are free (within the sites boundaries) to make your avatar appear any way you want. Clothing, hair, eyes, shoes, and other accessories make up your virtual world identity, which is an extension of your true identity. By looking at my avatar you can gather that I am (or maybe want to be) light skin, wear bright colors and wear my hair down. I made my avatar a lot like me, but some people choose to extend their identity even further. I entered an interesting room that was full of people who believed they were vampires. I was lost with most of their conversation, and stood out while most of them dressed in all black. They spoke about being in their human form and all though it was strange to me, that is their virtual identity. Why is identity so hard to write about? Virtual identity and true identity vary quite a bit, yet aspects are still demonstrated online from true life. Do you think people join virtual worlds to extend their true identities or to create an identity that is totally foreign? Why?
I think identity is so hard to write about because identity in general is so difficult to define. It is extremely hard to determine another person’s identity, as well as your own. This is especially true in a virtual world, because all you have to go on is a character on a screen. It is nearly impossible to determine who is controlling that avatar. I personally think the majority of people who join an online world are having some sort if identity crisis. I feel like people either join to become someone they cannot be in their daily lives, or join to reassure themselves of who they are and receive positive feedback from others. I do not think people necessarily join a virtual world to be their true self or to create a completely foreign identity; I think it is somewhere in the middle. I do believe that some people join as their own identity as a mindless activity in hopes of meeting others, but they are still stepping away from their true self. If they live a happy and fulfilled life on a daily basis, I do not see the need to create a whole different life. I think a lot of who people become is a part of who they interact with. People change themselves depending on who they are talking to and what the situation is. I think it is nearly impossible for someone to be their true, honest, exact self online. People join virtual worlds because something is missing from their everyday life. I believe each person’s avatar is probably a little bit of them mixed in with some opposite characteristics of who they are. People need something to identify with while changing the part of them that they are not pleased with.
ReplyDeleteI think that in most cases people join virtual worlds to create a new identity. Had I never been required to join for class, the thought of making an avatar and joining a virtual world would have never even entered my mind. The only reason my avatar is as life like to me as possible is because I have no desire to 'gender bend' or create a false identity because I am comfortable with my current identity and find it to be creepy to display a false self. How many people actually have time to join a virtual world, and those who do, how many actually choose that activity to fill their free time? I believe that people who join are doing it to portray a false identity because they are struggling with their identity and their own reality. I think people involved in virtual worlds are having identity crisis and need a way to 'vent' and step back from their own life, which they are probably unhappy with and maybe find it therapeutic to act like someone else.
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