Avatar vs. Reality, Essay Example

The concept of avatar appears to represent an ideal representational of ourselves within the context of a virtual world. This means that, on the one hand, the concept of an avatar is an autonomous choice which we make on the subjective level, yet, on the other hand, a specific environment or setting shapes our choices on numerous levels at the same time.

When we enter the context of an online interactive game, such as Habbo Hotel, which was my choice, we are confronted with options defined by the game itself. For example, the context of Habbo Hotel differs from the context of a science fiction game. Because of the specific nature of the game, we may decide to make particular decisions regarding our avatar. A hardcore science fiction fan, for example, may carefully construct his avatar based on what he considers the science fiction genre to represent. A game such as Habbo Hotel, in contrast, with its simpler graphics, may invite more humorous choices for the player. At the same time, the avatar is also ultimately determined by what the game itself allows: what are the options which the game programmers have given the user? Context thus informs our choices of avatar.

At the same time, however, the avatar is constructed by our personal wishes and desires of how we want to present ourselves in the virtual context. The reasons behind this context are complex in that they are subjective personifications of what we want to show others. In this case, therefore, the diversity of avatars is much like the diversity of reality, in that we have certain ways to dress, communicate and present ourselves to others, which are the result of autonomous choice, but occur within a context where we are given a finite number of options about what we want to tell others.

When choosing my own avatar, it is clear that I took a minimalist approach that emphasizes more of a generic character. I did not want my avatar to stand out or to be somewhat absurd or clownish. The choice of all black is somewhat serious, as is the mask. In one way, perhaps I wished to communicate that although an avatar is a personal choice, I nevertheless decided to become a more generic and difficult to define character, insofar as the mask is the key feature of this avatar. At the same time, I have also been influenced on a personal level by writings from the far left, such as anarchist groups like the Black Bloc and various other social movements. When I saw what the available options were for the avatar, perhaps my decision was ultimately a reflection of my being influenced by these schools of thought. At the same time, in the context of Habbo Hotel, I believe such an avatar design also stands out from the majority, which are more cartoonish. Accordingly, there is a synthesis of anonymity and also being different which shaped by choice, alongside some of my interests in the fields of society, culture and politics.

I am not a player of online games such as Habbo Hotel and Second Life, therefore, I cannot say that the experience was compelling. In a certain way, I find some of these virtual words depressing to the extent that they feel like a substitute for real world experiences and interactions. In other words, I do not understand the compelling nature of these games when we have a world outside. Certainly, for various personal reasons, individuals may prefer the virtual world to the world of reality. Nevertheless, there is something about being disconnected and living in a fictional world which makes the experience somewhat moribund for my tastes.

However, the experience of creating an avatar is interesting to the extent that it reflects individual choice, but also how we relate to others and different contexts in terms of how we wish to be seen. From this experience I understand that the creation of a virtual avatar is perhaps not so radically different than the everyday decisions we make in the real world regarding how we dress, communicate and interact with others. In one sense, there is a greater freedom to the virtual world, since we have an anonymity which lets us explore different alternatives. I think the true value of such games, in this regard, would be using the avatar method to experiment with identities and then translating this autonomy to a real world setting.

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