Why do people chose avatars which are close representations of themselves in reality ?

Question

I have noticed that the yahoo avator comes in a limited variety of morph's - with the addtional hair and clothing range they can be used to create a myriad of personalities. My one is the best i can do but in fact probably looks nothing like me - I put it down to self flattery and unconscious decisions we make about ourselfs and thos around us- ego.

Answer 1

Hello Sneek,

I have really tried to be as honest as possible in my Avatars looks. Unfortunately they don't have mono eyed, one legged bald women as a choice. However this Avatar is pretty kind to me as specially around the mouth area. My teeth are not quite the same as everyone else, particularly Americans with their fantastic teeth. Although I do put them in bleach at night with out fail every 5 months. x

Answer 2

I should probably book myself in for some therapy, since I'm a) female and b) not grey.

If I could be bothered to do a proper avatar it would probably look like a stylised version of me. All I'd want to do with my real self if I could would be minor tweaks.

This question is more interesting than I originally thought, now that I'm typing. If I did do an avatar, I couldn't imagine choosing a realistic image that was nothing like I looked in real life - say, blonde-haired, for instance. But why not? It's not as though there's even an implied promise that that's what I really look like... and if there was, it's not as though it'd matter... and yet I wouldn't want to do it. Hmm. Interesting.

I wonder whether people subconsciously react to other people's avatars as though they DO look like that in real life. For instance, say you had an avatar that looked exactly like my old school bully - would I still answer your posts, or would my subconscious step in and make an excuse not to bother?

Answer 3

While my avatar is not a completely true representation of me (couldn't find a fat guy) it is what I would like to look like. Most people choose it unconsciously "residual self image"? I also think for some it is a willingness or desire to be honest to the point that they can't put up an image that isn't close to their likeness.

Or I could be full of it and way off the mark.

Answer 4

Because AVATAR literally means

The "avatar" derives from the Sanskrit word Avatāra, meaning "incarnation" and usually implying a deliberate descent into mortal realms for special purposes. The term is used primarily in Hindu texts. For example, Krishna is the eigth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu the Preserver, whom many Hindus worship as God. The Dasavatara are ten particular "great" incarnations of Vishnu.

So on the internet - It is a representation of yourself. It's so stupid that the word is so popular and hardly anyone knows it's origins or meaning.

Answer 5

The avatar I used to have looked like a 30% cooler version of the real me. These days I am represented by a calming picture.

Answer 6

i base my avator on how i resemble in real life and apart from the blue eyeliner, i would say, without sounding arrogant, that i mostly look like that in real life. though i guess you have a point by insisting that the avators are limited and for most of them they are not truly reflective of their real selves, appearance-wise; in the sense that it is very rare for more than one person to have a different avator as the other. very rarely do i come across people of whom have the same as mine

Answer 7

For goodness sake, its only a bit of fun ! I choose my avatar because there are some resemblences but my cheek bones aren't that prominent and I wish my eyes were that huge and shapely. Whats wrong with fantasing about how we wish we could look ?

Answer 8

I added my reading glasses onto my avatar the other day, to give me that serious, intelligent look and I've come to realise that I have made myself look like Anne Robinson! Lord knows what that says about my ego! Yikes!

Answer 9

We also hide our identity by using fictitious names and jpegs even if we have nothing to hide. Perhaps it's just a harmless bit of fantasy or our way of recreating ourselves. How many of us tell others who don't visit this site about who we are on this site or do we just like the mystique.
Peace

Answer 10

Why not? It's not as if it is dead on. I do it becuase, granted, even though the avs are limited on many levels, i'm not ashamed of myself and putting an av that doesnt look like me is weird and i feel like im one of those online predators who lure horny people in...so yeah. now if they had wacky hairstlyes and different skin colors, then maybe becuase no one has zebra skin.