In the context of human computer interactions an avatar is a virtual representation of a real person created by that person. Many computer games and virtual social spaces allow you to create an avatar which is how other users “see” you in the game or social space. Some avatars can be customized all the way down to a cellular level, while other avatars can only change the clothes they wear or their hair color.
To people who have never created an avatar they can seem silly; like game pieces in a board game, something that is completely fake. But most people who have taken the time to create and customize an avatar and then interact with others through their avatar, find the experience to be less than fake and find avatars can help them become more immersed in a social exchange.
Avatars can look exactly like the person they represent or nothing like them. In 2007 photographer Robbie Cooper and writer Tracy Spaight released a wonderful book of photographs of avatars and their creators called Alter Ego. Better than any verbal explanation these images offer a glimpse into the rich and complicated relationship between people and their avatars.
