\u201cHow Second Life Affects Real Life,\u201d an article by Kristina Dell, talks about Dell’s first visit to Second Life.\u00a0 Dell talks about her experiences of being in the game Second Life, an online virtual world.\u00a0 After creating an avatar that Dell thought was a \u201chotter version\u201d of herself, she began trying to interact with others in the game.\u00a0 As soon as she started interacting with someone, her sister came into the room and immediately commented on how Dell\u2019s avatar looked \u201cugly.\u201d<\/p>\n
After her sister\u2019s comment, Dell decided to look up some research about self-perception that was done at Stanford University\u2019s Virtual Human Interaction Lab in which Jeremy Bailenson, head of the lab and the assistant professor of communication at Stanford, studied how self-perception affects behavior.\u00a0 Dell talks about how it is no surprise that what we think about ourselves and our confidence level affects how we approach the real and virtual world.<\/p>\n
Dell continues to reference Bailenson\u2019s research, talking about how the qualities acquired online can also influence one\u2019s qualities such as confidence even in real life.\u00a0 “When we cloak ourselves in avatars, it subtly alters the manner in which we behave.\u00a0 It’s about self-perception and self-confidence.\u00a0 Do you consciously wear your power suit to feel confident, or is it that you’re in this suit and you’re feeling up, but you’re unaware of the reason?” says Bailenson.<\/p>\n
This is personally really interesting to me because I reflected on my own experiences with Second Life and realized that just like Dell, I had thought I made my avatar a more attractive version of myself, giving her a small waist and skinnier frame.\u00a0 Living through my avatar and exploring the game, it was interesting because it was as if I was living through my avatar and felt more confident talking and interacting through her than me interacting with others in real life.\u00a0 I did not however, notice if this gave me real self confidence in the real world.<\/p>\n
Dell\u2019s article continues to include research conducted through Stanford graduate students who study virtual life qualities of behavior that ultimately seep into real life behavior.\u00a0 This included individuals wanting to look and would attempt change perceptions of themselves in the real world after making themselves look a certain way online.\u00a0 Ultimately, the conclusion is that virtual behavior may affect real-world health.<\/p>\n
Dell ultimately ends the article talking about how she got more confident in real life after interacting online in Second Life.\u00a0 \u201cI was more outgoing,\u201d she wrote.\u00a0 She plans to give her avatar on Second Life a cottage by the sea and a job that caters toward charitable work.\u00a0 She hopes that \u201csome of the positive vibes will rub onto her real life.\u00a0 I\u2019ll let you know how it works out.\u201d\u00a0 Dell truly believes in these Stanford studies and hopes that the good feelings in her virtual life will seep into her real life.<\/p>\n
These studies to me personally, are really interesting because I did not think a game and virtual world could give someone a personality change.\u00a0 Though the studies themselves are interesting, because I cannot personally relate, I am honestly really skeptical.\u00a0 As I cannot really relate, I was thinking, \u201cHmmm, maybe I should try Dell\u2019s experiment and try to see if it will work for me too?\u00a0 Maybe these positive vibes can also rub off into my life?\u201d\u00a0 Haha, I will try it out too\u2014and I will let you know if it works in my life too! \u201cHow Second Life Affects Real Life,\u201d an article by Kristina Dell, talks about Dell’s first visit to Second Life.\u00a0 Dell talks about her experiences of being in the game Second Life, an online virtual world.\u00a0 After creating an avatar that … Continue reading
\nRead more: http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/health\/article\/0,8599,1739601,00.html#ixzz1q5W9kuEs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"