Abstract
Using the virtual world Second LifeTM as a case study, the chapter begins a social psychological exploration of how living in virtual worlds may be transforming the experience of the self in contemporary society, from the ‘insider viewpoint’ of virtual world residents. The relationship between the virtual self and the ‘real life’ self is explored using data collected and key themes elicited from 40 textual interviews conducted inworld and inductive thematic analysis. The findings indicate a variety of complex relationships between the self experienced in the physical world and Second Life. First, the degree of similarity between the actual and virtual self varies according to experience. Second, the avatar tends to be seen as a separate entity. Finally, social processes within Second Life affects how the self is experienced, by allowing exploration of aspects of the self not possible in the physical world.
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Notes
- 1.
An outline of the series that included the article may be found on http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/visions-future.shtml.
- 2.
One billion accounts does not necessarily signify one billion individuals, since it is possible to have accounts across different worlds and more than one account within a given world.
- 3.
While this chapter will most often use the expression ‘physical world’, on occasion the term ‘real life’ will be adopted when in the context of taking the viewpoint of virtual world residents or in understanding various aspects of being a virtual self. This is because ‘real life’ (or RL) is the expression used by virtual world residents when referring to the physical world.
- 4.
As a relatively new area of study for the discipline of social psychology, a grounded theory approach, as outlined by Flick (2009), could provide the basis of a new social psychological ‘theory of the self’. A grounded theory is one that is developed inductively from data, via a cycle of data collection, coding, analysis, writing, design and theoretical categorisation, rather than being a pre-developed theory tested by data. While a new grounded ‘theory of the self’ is outside the scope of this chapter, it is believed that the procedures and findings from the research discussed here could form the basis of a more extensive piece of research that develops a grounded theory.
- 5.
As with the current universe of virtual worlds detailed above, this does not necessarily indicate 1,360,030 different users, since it is possible for one person to have more than one avatar, i.e. more than one account.
- 6.
The numbers of residents who have logged in the previous 60 days and who are online at the time of logging are presented every time an account holder logs into Second Life. This is the source of the statistics presented here.
- 7.
i.e. where users can use a microphone to allowing verbal communicate rather than being limited to text only.
- 8.
This means to be unexpectedly logged out of the Second Life program, usually due to data overload.
- 9.
All quotes in this section have been amended to be grammatically correct for ease of reading. Initials parenthesised after each quote represent the participant from whose interview the quote is taken. Moreover, the quotes adhere to the convention of abbreviating Second Life and ‘real life’ as SL and RL respectively, which is commonly used by residents.
- 10.
The terms ‘local’, ‘local chat’, ‘open chat’ or ‘open’ are used to denote conversations that occur in public making it possible for anyone within in a given distance (typically 20 ‘metres’) to hear or read what is said verbally or textually. In this context LM means that she was continuously asking for help via text in ‘local chat’.
- 11.
The term ‘noob’, ‘noobie’, ‘newb’ or ‘newbie’ is an expression used to denote someone who is relatively new and/or inexperienced in Second Life.
- 12.
In Second Life relationships occur that reflect those that occur in the physical world. Residents may have sexual partners, which may not become realised in the actual world, but occur intensely within virtual space. These relationships may involve role-playing sexual activity through animations available within Second Life and/or describing it through text or voice. Additionally, Second Life families may be constructed by the residents, so that they may be consider themselves to be husband, wife, mother, father, brother, sister, etc. to other selected residents. While this may involve child avatar role-play, it is not necessarily the case.
- 13.
That is, having an avatar appearing of a different age to their ‘real life’ self and acting in accordance with that age.
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Evans, S. (2011). The Self and Second Life: A Case Study Exploring the Emergence of Virtual Selves. In: Peachey, A., Childs, M. (eds) Reinventing Ourselves: Contemporary Concepts of Identity in Virtual Worlds. Springer Series in Immersive Environments. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-361-9_3
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