In the digital age, the rapid development of Internet technology has given birth to a new world – the digital world. People communicate and interact with the outside world through the Internet, and in the process, their identity, image and behavior often change.
At present, there are three aspects about digital identity: identification, identity and virtual avatar. From the static sense of identity, to the dynamic sense of identity, and then to the digital avatar in the sense of multiple identities and role playing, it reflects the practice process of people constantly proving themselves, shaping themselves and exploring themselves.
The Effect of “Virtual Avatar” On Self-concept
For VR social networking, the virtual scene (social environment) and Avatar (virtual avatar) are two important elements, one represents the space where people interact in VR, and the other represents the role they play in this space.
“In the meta-universe, you can be anyone or anywhere.” Jeremy Bailenson, a professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, conducted an experiment in which he had 272 students in his course meet in a virtual environment using VR headsets once a week for 30 minutes for eight weeks. During these sessions, students participated in two experiments, accumulating hundreds of thousands of minutes of interaction. The study found that in a wide virtual space, whether indoors or outdoors, students showed greater non-verbal synchronicity and reported many positive measures such as group cohesion, pleasure, excitement, presence and enjoyment, compared to when students interacted in a confined environment.
Through this research, we often face various difficulties in real life, and the success of the virtual avatar can provide us with a positive psychological implication: as long as we put in the effort, we can overcome difficulties and achieve success.
However, the effect of virtual avatar on individual self-concept is not entirely positive, but also has some negative effects. In some cases, players may become so invested in the virtual world that their real-life self-concept is dominated by the avatar. When players rely too much on their avatars for their sense of self-identity, it can lead to a diminished sense of their real self, which in turn affects their real-life social and emotional connections.
Conclusion
The effects of avatars on players’ self-concept are complex and varied. It can not only enhance the player’s self-identity and self-confidence, help the individual to be more optimistic and confident in the face of challenges in real life, but also may distort the individual’s understanding of self-cognition, affecting the social relationship in real life. Therefore, while enjoying the fun of avatars, we also need to maintain our identification with real life and be aware of the limitations of avatars. With this understanding, avatars can be a positive force in our lives, providing a beneficial tool for the shaping and development of an individual’s self-concept.
Why I Choose This Topic
In today’s society, there are more and more digital phenomena, whether it is social media or some game interactions are moving towards digital direction. Having a good understanding of the digital world helps to secure our identity and self-concept to a certain extent.
Reference
Adam hadhazy. (2022/11/14). New Stanford study shows choices of virtual environments and avatars can promote postive psychological outcomes in the metaverse. [Online]. stanford news. Available at: https://news.stanford.edu/2022/12/14/vr-real-impact-study-finds/ [Accessed 7 November 2023].
Sabreen Haziq. (2019). putting the best digtial self forward in the age of Social Media. [Online]. medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@haziqsabreen25/putting-the-best-digital-self-forward-in-the-age-of-social-media-d3dbec422b73 [Accessed 7 November 2023].
Introduction:Mya Padayache
MYA 23 OCTOBER 2023 LEAVE A COMMENT ON INTRODUCTION:MYA PADAYACHE POSTED IN BLOG
HI,My name is Mya Padayache I am 19 years old and I live in hounslow,West London and have lived here my whole life.I am quarter south African and Irish and half Indian,I would like to say I inherited my Indian side more as I enjoy the vibrant and colourful weddings enjoying the tradiditonal dance of Bhangra to the loud music.In high school I also enjoyed playing netball,but have stopped playing since i left.I am now studying Digital Media and communications at the univeristy of westminster.
My favourite film genre is romance,some of my personal favourites are After,The notebook and No hard feelings.In my spare time I love to indulge myself in a good book. My favourite author is Collen Hoover and some of my best books are It Ends with Us,It starts with us and Regretting You.I studied media in college and i found it interesting as it is a very much of a practical course.In college we would go to different places and film musical performances,with those pefromances we would edit them and make them into instagram reels and promote their business or school
sorry！！i copy the wrong message
I’m interested in the VR social networking and meta-universe that you have mentioned. This can totally contain identification and virtual avatar. People always create a role they want on the social media but it has a little limit. As for VR, it’s absolutely a new digital world. And as you say, we also need to maintain our identification with real life and be aware of the limitations of avatars. We should be able to differentiate and enjoy the virtual world without forgetting the joys of real life!
Relevance in the Digital Age: The article’s focus on digital identity is highly relevant in our increasingly connected world. As we spend more time online, understanding how this affects our sense of self is crucial. The exploration of this topic is timely and significant.
Depth of Analysis: The transition from static to dynamic identities, culminating in the concept of virtual avatars, reflects a deep and nuanced understanding of digital identity. This progression captures the complexity of how we represent ourselves in the digital world.
Insights from Research: The inclusion of Jeremy Bailenson’s experiment from Stanford University adds a valuable empirical dimension to the discussion. It’s fascinating to learn how virtual environments can enhance non-verbal synchronicity and positive group dynamics, offering a glimpse into the potential benefits of virtual interactions.
Balanced Perspective on Virtual Avatars: I appreciate the balanced view on the impact of virtual avatars. The article doesn’t just glorify the positives but also acknowledges the potential downsides, like the risk of over-identification with avatars to the detriment of real-life social connections. This balanced approach is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
Practical Implications and Caution: The conclusion provides practical advice, highlighting the need to balance our virtual and real-life identities. This is particularly important advice, as it’s easy to get lost in the allure of digital personas. The call for awareness of the limitations of avatars is a responsible and thoughtful addition.
Engagement and Thought-Provocation: The article seems to engage with its topic in a way that provokes thought and self-reflection. It likely encourages readers to consider their own digital identities and how they navigate their virtual and real-life personas.
Opportunity for Broader Perspectives: While the article seems comprehensive, incorporating a wider range of perspectives, such as psychological, sociological, or cultural viewpoints, could provide an even richer understanding of digital identities.