EVOLVING IDENTITY ECONOMIES IN SOCIAL VIRTUAL WORLDS

Performing embodied identity in virtual worlds

Received: 25 January 2011 Revised: 3 August 2011 2nd Revision: 14 April 2012 3rd Revision: 24 July 2012 Accepted: 12 November 2012 Abstract Embodied identity, that is, who we are as a result of our interactions with the world around us with and through our bodies, is increasingly challenged in online environments where identity performances are seemingly untethered from the user’s body that is ...

Digital Native Identity Development in Virtual Worlds

In the transition from childhood to adolescence, teens are engaged in defining who they are and finding a place in the wide world creates insecurity. Digital natives are growing up as part of digital generation where technology is ubiquitous in a young person’s life. One online technology commonly used by digital natives are virtual worlds. Increasingly, they have come to rely on this digital m...

Immersive Education in Social Virtual Worlds

Social and Ethical Considerations in Virtual Worlds

While networking technology facilitates the use of online services such as real-time instant messaging and anywhere-anytime multiplayer gaming, societal and ethical issues can influence the desirability of providing these services unmonitored to minors (i.e. users whose parents are legally responsible for them). In many countries and provinces, access to alcohol, tobacco and pornographic produc...

Children's Social Participation in Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds provide an arena for children to express themselves and to interact with others. They are a natural and frequent part of children’s life today. However, there is not much research on what actually happens in the online worlds and what kind of opportunities those worlds could offer to children and thereby enhance their social participation. The aim in this study is to explore the ...