Alter Egos

Photographer Robbie Cooper has been studying the relationship between gamers’ real and online identities, and recently published a book, Alter Ego: Avatars and Their Creators, that features photos (real/avatar) and bios of gamers. It’s an interesting look at online culture and supports the case that virtual identity is sometimes more reflective of a person’s personality and character than their image in the real world.

The self-images that people create vary, but most show some true reflection of the person in the avatar character….either physical or emotional. However, avatars tend to be less “ordinary” than the person behind them. Most people go for human characters or at least human variations, while using their online persona to experiment and/or explore something they want to be.

And in games where people can gender-bend…men are much more likely to than females. Hmmm…that would explain Chrissy.