#10) My Avatar: Pirate Hoobinoo

For this assignment I chose to participate in the multi-player online game "Second Life" suggested by Professor Hancock. As one whose only use for the Internet involves facebook, email, and research, the world of online fantasy and gaming is one that is completely foreign and uninteresting to me. Recently, however, with the rise of online social interaction, research has been dedicated to the nature of social interactions of individuals participating in multi-player online games such as Second Life. In their study, Yee & Bailenson (2007) identify what they call the "Proteus Effect," which suggests that an individuals' digital self-presentation may help dictate that individuals behavior, independent of how they are perceived by others. For example, if an individual is digitally presented as a tall, strong male, then he may be more likely to display confidence in his interactions with other players in that online space.

Because I am very unfamiliar with these online games, and have a hard time taking them seriously, I chose to pick and avatar entirely different from my actual self in my Second Life experience. "Pirate Hoobinoo" (Hoobinoo being one of the designated choices for a last name... somehow) was a "city chic" male (contrary to my actual female self, whose "chicness" is questionable at best). My goal was to pick an alternate avatar and determine whether his gender and perceived social status would cause me to display more confidence in social interactions than I would ordinarily in real life. However, my experience in Second Life had much more to do with my inexperience with the given space, rather than my actual chosen identity. Because of the extended time period it took me to get through orientations, and my discomfort with the game, I soon became frustrated with the experience. My inability to relate this experience to anything having to do with my real life, meant that I had no problem approaching other individuals in the space regardless of my appearance. Half way through my time in Second Life, I changed to a female in an attempt to relate the experience more to my own. Contrary to Yee & Bailenson's (2007) hypothesis, I did not find myself altering my behavior based on my digital self presentation.

In other online spaces that I use on a regular basis, primarily facebook and email, I find myself following the hyperpersonal model's theory of selective self-presentation . Furthermore, I find myself identifying with certain social groups in order to create my own sense of self (which reflects the SIDE theory). Although this theme closely relates to Yee & Bailenson's research (2007), I do not feel as though my use of these self-presentation and online social identifying tactics can relate to their research or to my experience in Second Life. My inexperience in the space led all of my social interactions to follow the same general pattern, and it was generally easy for individuals with whom I chose to interact to to spot that I was just "popping my Second Life cherry." My lack of interest and inability to relate the experience to real life led me not to be affected by the "Proteus Effect" in this scenario, but I certainly feel as though their hypotheses are valid for those individuals who are able to take this experience more seriously.