What does an avatar say about a person: sociologists conducted a new study

On the Internet, people use avatars. Scientists decided to find out what goals users pursue when choosing

profile picture - a desire to hide or is ita way to express your digital self. In a new study, Trinity College researchers found that both motives are important. Thus, choosing an avatar is not only a creative act of self-representation, but also an attempt at escapism and an expression of the need for conformity.

As scientists explain, this is due to the fact thatexperiments in the digital world are safer. They noted that the impact of the virtual environment on reality has been actively fueled over the past two years by physical isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This makes our work even more relevant,” the scientists write in the paper.

In the course of the study, sociologists developed a new assessment system that combines intersectionality and social identity theory.

Intersectionality is about whatthe intersection of identities determines a person's inclusion or discrimination in certain social contexts. And social identity theory is “responsible” for social dynamics through the prism of belonging to groups and explains how a person’s idea of ​​himself is shaped by his membership in these groups.

Scientists have found that when choosing an avatarthe user may need to adjust their visible or recognizable representation to suit what is available to them. For example, some social virtual reality applications only support binary gender systems and stereotypical body image. In other cases, a person may want to look a certain way to fit in with the community with which they interact. In any case, a person’s “digital body” (avatar) influences social interactions and whether they are suitable for certain groups of society or not.

The authors of the work noted that today the avatar is the basis for millions of daily social interactions in the virtual environment, but they do not necessarily reflect the personality and characteristics of the user.

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Cover photo: CC0 Public domain