When I first entered the “land” I quickly realized that my avatar looked EXACTLY like at least 10 of the other avatars in the room! I had to change and personalize “Drake Selentiak” to make him distinguishable from the others in the room. I began by giving him appearance that resembled my own—I gave him black hair, brown eyes, fair complexion, and even decked him blue clothing that emphasized my own fashion and colors tastes. I was then going to make “Drake” more anatomically similar to me, but then for a moment I hesitated. For some reason I decided to make my avatar a bit more masculine and “buff” than I am in real life. For a moment I did feel a rush of confidence and excitement because of the appearance of my avatar. However, this quickly faded because I became aware of my surroundings—I was totally lost! I had no idea how to maneuver or guide the avatar around the strangely designed “land.” Even though I had an amazingly attractive avatar (if I may say so, myself!), I found myself not reacting any differently than I would have if it were actually myself in the land and not a digital avatar.
After roaming the strange surroundings and occasionally altering my appearance and chatting with a few other avatars for approximately an hour, I came to the conclusion that my interactions do not necessarily support the suggestions of Yee and Bailenson (2007). According to their research on the Proteus Effect, it is suggested that the Proteus Effect occurs when users in online environments conform to the expectations and stereotypes of the identity of their avatar. As mentioned, my avatar was a bit more athletic and buff that my actual appearance. However, I did not let this appearance affect my behavior and interactions. I could have easily approached others that seemed equally as attractive or athletic, but I did not. I did feel a bit of confidence initially, but this ultimately did not affect behavior; I decided to mostly remain to myself and only chat with those who approached me. This may be the result of being in a new online environment and the fact that I had to learn so much in such a short period of time. When others approached me, I chatted and replied to them in a manner that I, myself, would have responded.
Though I am still a “newbie” to the phenomenon, I am rather intrigued my “Second Life” and the role of avatars. Even though my own avatar resembles me to a great extent, I can’t help but wonder how many of the avatars in “Second Life” are completely different than their creators. Is it really possible for others to rely on a digital character to give so much confidence in regard to communicating with others while online? If so, I then wonder about how many of these avatars actually resemble the creator and how many of them are deceiving.
To me, the concept of using avatars to understand and “get to know” other online players is still a bit odd. Call me old fashioned, but I think I’d much rather prefer my first life in comparison to my “second life!”
- Joshua Navarro
My Comments:
http://comm245purple.blogspot.com/2007/11/second-life-not-worth-living.html
http://comm245purple.blogspot.com/2007/11/assignment-10-second-life.html
5 comments:
As you mentioned, it may still be the newbie effect that holds you back. How would you picture yourself (and your avatar self) if you play the game for the next two months? Would you expect to grow more confident due to the attractiveness of your avatar after a period of time? After you've gotten used to the game and don't have to get lost every 3 minutes?
And try to imagine if you increase the discrepancy between your real self and your avatar. What if you make the avatar a lot more attractive instead of just more athletic? Would that possible produce a result that would reflect Yee and Bailenson's?
I wonder what would happen if you made Drake appear even less like you. In my own Second Life experience, my avatar had different hair color and body type, but still dressed like me. Maybe we participants are not changing our avatars' appearances enough to have a true grasp on a difference in attitude.
I like how you said that when you entered the game there were other who looked like you and you immediately felt the need to customize your appearance. When I did Second Life for this assignment, I didn't bother changing my appearance and wonder if I saw a bunch of others who looked like me if I would react similarly.
I felt much like you did as I became oriented with the game. It was hard for me to get caught up in my avatar and my interactions with others, because I spent so much time trying to figure out how to play. Like you, I think the idea of getting to know people through idealized representations of themselves is weird. I would much rather get to know a person for who they really are. I wonder why so many companies are creating their own accounts and encouraging employees to get to know one another better through this game. I guess I could see some positive disinhibition effects, but I could also see the potential for some negative FtF effects. It's seems possible that people might not feel the need to become better acquainted with their coworkers in FtF situations or less become less comfortable in their own skin...
Overall, I really enjoyed your post. Nice work!!
I found it very difficult to master the controls as well, and was very frustrated for a large portion of the experience. I guess that it is due to the game's learning curve. It is difficult to gain an appreciation for the game over such a short assignment. I agree that the need to stand out in the game is strong, but from what I see the only way to really do so is to purchase more expensive designer clothing and body types.
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