Hey there! My name is Lauren McLemore and I’m a sophomore majoring in Information Science and hoping to double major in Communications. My hometown is
There are many ways to describe myself: student, athlete, gamer, sister, one voted most likely to conquer an island, and the list could go on... But on the whole I’m a technology maniac. My whole life I’ve been surrounded by both video and computer games (introduced at such a young tender age thanks to my Dad) and needless to say it was love at first sight. Between my dad, two brothers, and myself we own every video game console ever produced with except for Dreamcast. We have a whole room in our house dedicated to computer gaming stations and two televisions only for oh-so-much fun multiplayer action on systems like the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii.
While I enjoy console gaming I’m more passionate about PC gaming. Playing games like Counter-Strike, Lord of the Rings Online, World of Warcraft, Dota, and Warhammer Online. I’ve beta tested for more games than I can remember.
While it seems that I may be rambling on and on about this gamer thing there is a reason for it. Because for all my experience and knowledge of gaming I still don’t understand why people play characters whose gender is the opposite of their own. In online games where you can customize your character’s gender, height, weight, hair, and features, people don’t always make characters of their own gender. These online games I’m referring to are considered by Wallace in her book Psychology of the Internet to be an online environment known as metaworlds.
From my experience in gaming you’re as likely to meet a female playing a female character as you are to meet a male playing a female character. Although females also gender switch to me it seems that most gender switching is preformed by males. Since I’ve always played as a female character when given the option I am interested in why some gamers choose to play as the opposite gender.
Men have given reasons like they’d rather watch a female character on the screen for the hours on end that they play than a man or that playing as female will often result in being specially treated through extra help from other players or free items. Yet females say that they play male characters so that they are not harassed, taken lightly, or targeted by males who play the game.
But if everyone can find advantages in playing as the other gender why doesn’t everyone just play as their own?
5 comments:
Lauren,
I consider your post to be near the epitome of engaging. I also liked the fact that you added a little humor. From reading your post, I also was reinforced of the fact that honesty, if expressed correctly, can be very humorous. For example, "Men...rather watch a female character on the screen for the hours on end" brought a chuckle to my face.
From reading this post, I've learned that honesty can be a tool in developing connections via asynchronous/synchronous chats. I can't say that I am anywhere near forming a connection with you but I find the male portraying female discussion very interesting. I won't go too much into it as I feel that I have surpassed the 150 word limit. I feel, however, similar to what Prof. Hancock spoke of in today's (Tuesday) lecutre, that men use female avatars to portray someone they would ideally want to be with. I guess it's an "eye candy thing".
Good job!
-Saidu
I have also experienced this cross-gender representation at work. I use an online environment in which you have to use avatars, and I find that I too frequently choose a male avatar (or an otherworldy character) over a female avatar. I think I do this to be playful, and frequently the female avatar options seem to have less character and be wallflowers- prim and pretty, but no personality (no reflection of real life girls, naturally). In a virtual world, male avatars often wear funky clothes, or have weird hair, etc. and make the experience generally more fantastical and “out there”. However, it does get confusing when you’re talking and interacting with an avatar of a certain gender, or even a giant pumpkin monster and do not know how to address him/her/it.
Great post,
Christina
I think it's great that you posted about this, because I've often wondered myself why people switch genders. I think I may have an answer for you. My male friend told me he plays Everquest as a female named Kitty, because male players will automatically befriend him and give him special treatment. Not only this, they will also give him weapons, characters, and whatever form of currency they use on Everquest. As you may know, weapons and well-developed characters can be sold online for a good amount of money. My friend was later able to purchase a Lexus. (I never asked where all the money came from.) Perhaps this is why or perhaps people just want to see what it's like on the other side. Personally, I might choose to be a guy just to avoid having to respond/chat with overeager male players. Great topic and I hope to read more of your blogs!
Hey Lauren!
Great to see another NoVa-er up in here. What high school did you go to, if you don’t mind me asking? :P
Your blog actually reminded me of a pretty funny thread in the forum that I often read. It all started out with the comment, “there are no women on the internet.” Your post really got me thinking about this comment, and even though it’s ridiculous to the extreme, how we as society really play into stereotypes even in completely different environments (of course creating them along the way as well). Girls aren’t supposed to game. Obviously. All those female avatars out there aren’t really women. Right? I wonder how this stereotype would affect how real female players perceive these metaworlds and gaming in general.
I like that final question you added as an afterthought, and I’d really like to hear what you have to say on that subject. What if most people don’t look so far into the social implications of playing avatars of a certain gender? What if it is all just personal preference?
Really great post. A shiny gem mixed in with…err…facebook coals. Sorry, that analogy totally didn’t make sense. Looking forward to what you have to say in the future!
-Kristie
There is a great deal of deception in the Internet, with users lying about their jobs, their appearance, their age, but once someone misrepresents their gender, everyone seems to take personal offense. If someone was actively deceiving others about their gender, then maybe it would be despicable, but in a game, a player picks whatever part the wish. Why would someone play a game to mimic real life? When was the last time you saw a dwarf walking down the street, a treant shopping for apples at the local market, or a cat-girl chatting with her friends on the train? In a game, particularly online games, everything from their name to their race to their SPECIES are pre-picked, so why not gender? Why should someone be restricted to their gender they were born?
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