The autoethnographic study performed Dumitrica and Gaden first brought my
attention to similar games out now in the SIMS product line. While never
having played any of the SIMS games, the sheer number of various types
indicates to me there is a following for an avatar reality world. What’s
most shocking in SL, is that the game is based, to a large degree, around the
sexualizing of the avatars life, from the choice of clothes, their actions and
even body style. With many of the default options prompting you towards a
certain body image (loosely based around an accurate gender), it is no surprise
that the environment is comprised of similarly shaped avatars who portray
inaccurate representations of the complexity we have as humans.
As we know, sex sells; but intertwining each aspect of
the gaming reality with a component of sex, or the sexuality of the avatars,
goes past selling a product and actually begins to sell an image and new
reality. This is a concern for me,
because people who navigate these games may have the tendency to overlay the
virtual reality with the actual reality and push to create what is normal and acceptable
in the game to being acceptable in reality. To some degree, I can see
this occurring on MySpace. With the freedom to post your personal
content, develop your layout, add audio and any links you are able to fully
push the envelope with regard to socially normal behaviors because being online
allows that. Although, being aware that the 'virtual reality' encourages risqué
behaviors is helpful in better understanding the communication methods of the
next generation of the American workforce that have been raised around learning
experiences shaped by the game.
--CG
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