Avaitars and self-determination

Reading "Alter Ego" was an eye-opening experience for me, and ultimately contradicted some of the preconceived notions that I had about avatars and virtual worlds. While I still think that people need to remember that it is a game and not reality, I found that creating an avatar and playing second life can create a sense of freedom and self-determination in those who do not, and possibly can not, experience such freedom in the "real" world. For Jason Rowe, a man with severe physical disabilities that renders him unable to live an active life, the creation of an avatar allows him to do outrageous things like “ride an Imperial speeder bike [or] fight monsters,” but also to do the things that many take for granted, like “hang out with friends at a bar” (Cooper). His avatar not only gives him physical freedom and independence from his disability, but also gives him the freedom to get to know people, and for them to get to know him, without his looks dictating the direction of the relationship. As Rurouni Kenshin, he has control and does not have to let the judgments of others, nor his disability, determine his life. Similarly, Young Ki-Jang has greater freedom in his life as his avatar, Knight Lummis. When he assumes the life of his online character, he is in control of his destiny – “the path forward is up to [him]” (Cooper). He is not held back by his socioeconomic background or his education or the status of his parents, but rather is at the steering wheel of a life he created. The freedom that Young Ki-Jang experiences when playing with his avatar truly embodies that of self-determination – if he works hard and plays well, he will undoubtedly succeed, something that is not guaranteed in the “real world.” Online living grants him complete freedom from constraints that hold him back in the real world.