For years, communication research has privileged face-to-face interaction, as though digital interactions were somehow less authentic, less embodied, less human. But what happens when the virtual body, the avatar, takes on the expressive and affective qualities of the physical one? What if the avatar isn’t a poor substitute, but rather a different modality of human communication? […]
Who is your Avatar?
The term ‘avatar’ originates from the Sanskrit word ‘avatāra’ which could be translated as ‘manifestation’ or ‘appearance’ of divinity into the physical world. Today, these ‘cartoonesque’ images have been democratised, but unfortunately, they also lost their mystical aura. Even though many people only see a two-dimensional image, for others, their avatars may be closer to a […]