By: Yasu Gomez

 At a click of a mouse or button, you can alter your attractiveness, skin tone, gender, or age.  These “re-structured” images of yourself can be used as images or characters in videogames or in social communities.

 Nintendo Wii-Mii’s  Xbox 360-Avatar’s  Second Life  Sims Simulation Game  Zwinky

 Creating an avatar for gaming purposes are becoming more and more popular.  Avatars in videogames are not used so much to socialize, but more to have fun with the features and implement how you would look like in the game.  Only sometimes may looks or even behaviors effect the social life in games. Examples of these games are Warcraft and Sims.

 Second Life is a very popular virtual world, where people (Avatars) meet and greet strangers online.  Over 13 million people have visited Second Life at least once and there are over 450, 000 residents online in a given week.

 The most popular Social simulation/game on the market is World of Warcraft.  With over 10 million users, who in turn pay to participate.  The average user of this software averages over 20 hours a week in the virtual world.

 Studies at Stanford University have found that within 90 seconds of chatting with other avatars is enough to elicit behavioral changes in real life.  “When we cloak ourselves in avatars, it subtly alters the manner in which we behave.“- Bailenson, assistant professor at Stanford University.

 Researchers assessed how an avatar's attractiveness affected human behavior, both online and off. Thirty-two volunteers were randomly assigned an attractive or unattractive avatar (attractiveness was rated by undergrads in a survey beforehand) and instructed to look at them in a virtual mirror for 90 seconds. Then they were asked to interact with other avatars, controlled by the experimenters, in a classroom-like setting. Overall, subjects using good-looking avatars tended to display more confidence, friendliness and extroversion, just as in the real world: they approached avatar strangers within three feet, and in conversations tended to disclose more personal details. Ugly- duckling avatars, meanwhile, stayed five and a half feet away from strangers and were more tight-lipped.  By: Kristina Dell From:

 Mask true identity.  Confidence in socializing.  Easier than uploading a picture.  Fun.  To harass others.  Meet new people.

 All conversations can be done in the comfort of your own home.  No need to bring documents or other paper when you can send all your files, media, or graphs to everyone at once.  Very time efficient.

 Lack of human emotions.  Loss of face to face social skills.  People can lie about their true identity.  Minimum confidentiality.

 Yes, some software companies have already implemented online interviews with future developers using avatars.  This could work because the interviewer can see how well the candidate is on the computer as well as their design of their avatar.  The possibilities are endless, the thought is riveting, exciting, scary? Maybe all of these feelings can sum up what is in store for the future of social simulation.

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Questions!!!