Avatars and Gaming

In today's reading, the big topic was avatars in video games.

An avatar is the virtual representation of ourselves.  With it, we can become anything, anyone, and can look anyway we want.  Some people create them to look somewhat like them, whereas others create them to be the complete opposite.  And yes, even I am guilty of this.

However, the majority of people do not make them either way. Instead, they make them to look like what they WISH they were, not what they actually look like.  They do so to present the perfect image to the world.
As was the case in the Alter Ego Profiles in the book, people do this to try and break the social barriers around them.  Where in reality you might be dissuaded from getting to know certain people because of their looks, with avatars you do not have that issue, instead giving people a different face to the same person. This provides them the chance to get to know the person behind that face right off the bat, without the public social hindrances.

In addition, avatars give us the chance to become someone else.  Where in reality you might be a grocery bagger at Wal-Mart, in the gaming world you could be the ultimate zombie killer or a level 80 Blood Elf Paladin.  You get to live a different life for a few moments, giving many people a chance to forget their real world problems for a time.