SOCIAL MEDIA AND MACHINIMA: FEATURING SOCIAL MACHINIMIST KARA TRAPDOOR

摘要

The avatar is by its nature an individual choice; however, like most decisions in life (even virtual life) it is the product of the social environment in which it is 'born' and socialized. The creativity of an avatar is an extension of one's real self and the very extension of life itself virtually. Avatars as social beings evolve from their creators, become their own entities and are consequently impacted from their in-world experiences. Perspectives are no longer merely those of their creators, but reflect a larger social context in which all thrive (survive). It is relevant to consider how social media experiences and networks might be anticipated as emergent, as they respond to their followers and those they follow. The lines between the avatar cannot be understood as wholly separate from the real-life person behind the masked meta body. It is more likely that the public recognizes the varied roles that individuals assume in life in general - acknowledging the many sides of who we are and how we represent ourselves authentically in all interpretations of reality, presenting self through one or multiple characteristics that drive our life - home, work, passions, creativity and a need to go beyond new worlds (alone and together) to call forth meaning. Sherry Turkle's (2012) book Alone Together might best express the essence of interconnectness in a virtual age. In a sense, we are all avatars, living out as fragmented representations of our real selves, desiring independence and interdependence simultaneously.