Emotion, Embodiment and the Virtual World

The intent of this text is to highlight aspects of human cognitive and emotional embodiment within avatars. Specifically, the idea is to focus on the social aspects that embodiment brings with it outside the virtual world. One example is the ability of people to embody themselves in a fantasy character within the virtual world, which often has characteristics diametrically opposed to the social inclinations of the individual generating it and to be able to be fully themselves unlike their being in physical society. There are several examples, one out of all, perhaps the most striking on the Twitch Italia stage, is that of a user who generates content in very long live streams, even 60 consecutive days, where he films himself sleeping, washing and eating. The same person turns out shy and edgy in physical reality avoiding contact with others. Still, other users who are particularly followed on social networks and in video games, but not easily recognizable in physical reality, as they are hidden by avatars, cannot help they’re perpetually being on display and engage in egocentric behaviors aimed at emphasizing their being an "influencer," for example, they arrogantly show up in certain places to make the other person recognize them as even outside their virtual embodiment. Same goes for the new perspectives of analysis to which we are becoming accustomed, such as that of the metaverse.