SEXUALiTY

Sexuality was one of the most interesting subjects to look at in the virtual worlds. When thinking about sexuality, I started thinking about sexuality and sexual attractiveness. I started thinking about how in YoVille there are no options for body shape or size. This was interesting to me because the default body shape is skinny. This being the default size for everyone in YoVille leads me to think that skinny is seen as normal, and most attractive. The colors available for skin tone also show attractiveness toward tan white/ light skin. These two preset factors in YoVille made me think of sexuality in a new way. I dressed my avatar in a rainbow shirt to see if this made a difference on who approached me, but it did not. I know rainbows are a symbol of the gay community, so I tried to experience this in YoVille. Men and woman came up to me, most asking “what is your name/number”, no matter what outfit my avatar had on. This communicated to me that the fear of rejection is almost absent while in a virtual world.

In YoVille, people seem to be bold about their sexual preferences behind a screen of a computer. I think it is like we said in class about the safety people feel behind a computer or in an online world. Many people came up to me (in YoVille) and asked for my number. I didn’t give it to anyone, but males are normally not that bold in real life. People are so quick to try and “hook-up” or say they need a boyfriend/girlfriend, but I believe these conversations would be completely different in real life. Gay and bi people are just as open with their sexuality in virtual worlds as heterosexual people are. There are countless events in YoVille that call for gay/bi people, and they are very open and proud from what I’ve experienced. I took a screen shot of some of the events of YoVille, which included event titles as “Gay & Bi Guys”, “Single & Looking”, “Adult Freakfest” and “Girls Night Out- No Boys”. These event titles show how open people are in virtual worlds regarding sexuality.



In online worlds, sexuality is an open concept. I think this is because there is no one to judge your avatar or the words you type on the screen. Why do you believe people are so open online about their sexuality? Do you think this helps people be more open or closed in real life about sexuality? Interaction in virtual worlds can either help or hinder a person’s ability to openess in real life, what is your opinion on this matter?