Avatars now are used as a way of communication within the online and social networking system. There many forms of avatars for example there are text, pictures and animated or 3-D imaging. Avatars can be seen as a language as they work like a profiler, which can be see as easily recognisable to others.
Avatars are used for many reasons. These reasons fall into either social or psychologial gropings for why they are used. Social reasons include a way of communication, when online imagery can be used to portray ourselves in a virtual environment, Protection is another reason. In contrast, psychological reasons include how we wished to be viewed, for the user to project there personality when doing this users will use images or text relating to general interests or hobbies.
In a way, avatars are forced upon us. The need to fit into a socialising site or forum. This can be through the social groups that can be found or the sharing of general hobbies for instance. It is a way of conformaty, a sense of belonging almost.
The use of online avatars provides a whole new social realm for the youth. Often sites such as 'facebook' are used by those of the younger generations, in doing this the youths can also write themselves into a community of being portraying themselves as to how they want to be viewed by others.
The crafting of a users representation allows them show themselves in a better light. This can be done through editing images etc: The idea of the social voyeurism is a huge factor in the online society that it becomes obsessive in how we control it. Others view other profile pictures or avatars to judge that personels character or personality.
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