Virtual Worlds and Identity
Fashion is multifaceted: sources in culture and social structure, the process by which trends diffuse within and across societies, its role in social and gender differentiation and social integration, the psychological needs it can satisfy, and its implications for society. Researchers have not spent an extensive amount of time studying one facet that connects the designers, retailers, and consumers in contemporary society, its meaning and symbolism. One can use fashion an outlet for experimentation and self-expression, and digital fashion is giving individuals a completely new avenue for this expression. Barnard (2002) introduced fashion as a way to communicate and challenge class, gender, and sexual and social identities. Therefore, fashion can act as a cultural device communicating about larger, prominentsocial issues and norms. Barnard (2002) drew on theoretical approaches such as Marxist and feminist theory to address the fluctuating status of fashion in modern culture. In his book, he emphasized that the context and conditions determine the evolution of clothing into fashion, which determined how clothing can act as a communicative device.Fashion and clothing can project or construct identity and differentiate between groups and individuals or bring individuals of the same community together (Barnard, 2002). His ideas can translate into the virtual world.
As previous discussed, our identities are not static, and one facet of our identity can become more prominent as layers of identity interplay in different environments including virtual worlds.
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Clothing in the metaverse will be highly personal, resulting in people paying a fee to dress their future avatars in unique outfits that they change frequently to express their identity. Aesthetic representation and level of engagement are closely intertwined, meaning users who invest more time in customizing their avatars tend to be more engaged, while the avatars that have not been as customized tend to be less engaged. One-fifth of Roblox’s daily active users — or 8.6 million — update their avatar on any given day, which highlights the importance of self-expression and identity.
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Games dominate our culture, and virtual games will be the social networks of the new generation. Users will also collectively construct identity through interactions with others in these games and form groups because we use these games to engage and relate with others as well as a way to self-express. Many meaningful moments in our lives occur online, especially for younger generations. Therefore, their choice of digital fashion may communicate group identity.
Because we use digital fashion to express our identities, virtual worlds should be inclusive as supported by research conducted by the Institute of Digital Fashion. Technology can help push the industry to become more inclusive by increasing customization options for avatars and allow them to be sliding scales.
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