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Avatars: Portraying, Exploring, and Changing Online and Offline Identities

Avatars: Portraying, Exploring, and Changing Online and Offline Identities

Jesse Fox, Sun Joo Ahn
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 17
ISBN13: 9781466622111|ISBN10: 1466622113|EISBN13: 9781466622128
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2211-1.ch014
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MLA

Fox, Jesse, and Sun Joo Ahn. "Avatars: Portraying, Exploring, and Changing Online and Offline Identities." Handbook of Research on Technoself: Identity in a Technological Society, edited by Rocci Luppicini, IGI Global, 2013, pp. 255-271. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-2211-1.ch014

APA

Fox, J. & Ahn, S. J. (2013). Avatars: Portraying, Exploring, and Changing Online and Offline Identities. In R. Luppicini (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Technoself: Identity in a Technological Society (pp. 255-271). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-2211-1.ch014

Chicago

Fox, Jesse, and Sun Joo Ahn. "Avatars: Portraying, Exploring, and Changing Online and Offline Identities." In Handbook of Research on Technoself: Identity in a Technological Society, edited by Rocci Luppicini, 255-271. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-2211-1.ch014

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Abstract

Avatars are defined as virtual representations that are controlled by a human user. Commonly, we observe avatars in video and online games, social networking sites, and virtual worlds. This chapter explores the use of avatars in the expression, exploration, and evolution of users’ identities, both online and offline. Theoretical explanations for the creation, manipulation, use, and effects of avatars are offered, including identification, transformed social interaction, and the Proteus effect. The adoption of avatars for identity expression, exploration, and change is discussed, including Turkle’s notion of fragmented selves and Nakamura’s concept of identity tourism. Research that has investigated the effects of avatars on self-perceptions and identity in various domains (such as health, marketing, finance, and environmental behaviors) is addressed. Implications and future directions for research in this area are discussed.

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