Beauty is Only Pixels Deep
September 1, 2008 by Anna Grace
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I frequent two chat servers called Gaia Online and IMVU. They are both servers where you can create your own avatar, choose their wardrobe, and “sit” in the same room as someone and talk to them. A discussion came up on Gaia about avatars and modesty. Is it important to keep your avatars modest?
One one hand, an avatar is just a depiction. It’s just an image, and it’s not like you’re really showing off your own body. It’s just a picture. However, I am always careful about my own avatars, as they are a representation of me. When a company chooses a new logo they quite often go through a process of asking themselves what they stand for, who their target audience is, and how various designs will impact their sales. Choosing an avatar, while not as tedius as designing a new logo, should be a similar idea. This little 100×100 pixel image represents you to whomever you come in contact with while online. What do you want it to say about you?
The two images below are examples of different avatars from Gaia Online. Because these avatars are anything but realistic, I can see how people might not struggle if they were dressed immodestly. I think, though, that more than the actual visual struggle this might present someone, there’s a persona you’re portraying. To you, what do the different avatars below portray?
The below avatars are examples of avatars from IMVU. We not only have to consider the persona we’re putting forward at IMVU, but because of the life-like avatars, we need to consider modesty in the conventional sense again. What do you think about the two avatars below? (And believe me, there are much worse avatars out there than I’m displaying here. Holy cow, there are some shocking outfits.) What are the differences and similarities between these two avatars?
What do you think about modesty with avatars? Would you define a modest avatar differently than you’d define a modest person? What makes that distinction?
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Avatars have fewer issues with defective clothes. Their outfits cannot become see-through in a new light or change in fit when lived in.
That’s a really good point, Chrs. So there’s really no excuse for immodesty like with an accidental bra strap slip that might happen in real life.
It’s true, and yet they’re drawn in such a way that they show much more than the person behind the avatar would be comfortable to show.
Also a good point. There’s a very high level of desensitization that happens in the process of sifting through hair, face, clothes choices to create your avatar.
Right– and you may tend to focus on one feature, and totally miss something that could be obvious.
I completely agree, now that I understand the point you are putting off. There are only a few things, other then posts, that show a persons personality on gaia. Their Avatar, Signature, and their Profile.
My avatar is rather nude, and now that I remember why she is nude, It makes me sick. I should change her nude-ness.
Hey, Zombiiie, glad you’re reconsidering her wardrobe. Shoot me a picture of what you end up with if you want, I’m curious. And you can add me on Gaia, too if you’d like, it’s AGG_115. :)
I would generally define a modest avatar as I would a modest person. It may not technically be immodest, (like the first pictures). However, since it represents you, someone could see your avatar and think that you are that type of person. Do you want them to imagine you as modest or immodest?
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