Self-representation through Online Avatars in Major Online Contexts Among Chinese University Students

Abstract

The feature of applying avatars is prevalent across different types of online activities. Avatar creation has inevitably become an important research topic due to its use in representing different identities, facilitating digital communication, and investigating body image problems. It has been studied that the standard and the idealization of avatar creation can differ across contexts. Besides, the research tools involved such as the Big Five Inventory and the research hypotheses around demographical characteristics strike the importance of cross-cultural factors. However, few studies of avatar creations have been conducted based on the Chinese population or referring to Chinese online platforms. Hence, the author addresses this research gap by examining (1) the self-representation and idealization of physical, demographical, and personality attributes through avatar creation, (2) differences in this self-representation and idealization across major online Chinese contexts, (3) the relationship between the idealization of avatars and body image attitudes among Chinese university students. The author analyzed data from 92 university students and found different levels of self-representation through avatars in the physical and demographic attributes. Moreover, a tendency for university students to idealize themselves through online avatars for both physical attributes and personality traits was observed. Furthermore, this self-representation and idealization mostly did not differ across contexts as previous studies concluded. Overall, this study reflects values in exploring avatar creation strategies across different cultures, providing pilot information and insights for further studies focusing on self-representation, avatar creation, and body images in virtual environments.