Becoming otter: Avatars and the crafting of the self in social virtual reality

Through an ethnography in VRChat, a platform of social virtual reality (SVR), this article seeks to offer a nuanced understanding of the crafting of the self in a unique digital environment. We look at the complex relationships that are woven between users and their avatars, namely how they grow into their personae and embody them to the extent they become a “second skin.” Far from being customized and incorporated representations only, these electronic masks constitute vectors of power and intimacy, augmenting physical, individual, and social capacities of those who wear them. Moreover, while much of the existing literature emphasizes the exploratory potential of avatars and their role in fostering self-multiplication, this study illustrates how avatarial incarnation, as facilitated by virtual reality (VR) technology, can also serve as a means of engaging with an intimate self, experienced as unified and authentic.