Make your Meta avatar a STAR
Written by Rachel F Rodgers, PhD
November 12th, 2024
Introduction: Authentic Identity Expression for the Metaverse
Ellysse Dick, Reality Labs Policy Manager and Jacklyn Doig-Keys, Safety Policy Manager
This year we updated our Meta Avatars to give people more options to represent themselves on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Meta Horizon and other virtual and mixed reality experiences. These next-generation avatars introduce a new house style and give people more power to express themselves.
You may know avatars as digital representations of yourself used to communicate online. But in the future metaverse, they will be a core part of identity across apps and experiences. That’s why we wanted to make it easier to design avatars that reflect your unique creativity, interests and identity.
We want to give people the tools they need to create avatars that represent their authentic selves. But we also want to be mindful of how different parts of identity can impact safety, privacy and overall experience in different virtual spaces, both for themselves and others. To help us do that, we collaborated with Dr. Rachel Rodgers, an academic whose work focuses on media and youth wellbeing, to create this guide in consultation with young people and other digital safety and wellbeing experts. In it, you'll find tips for teens and guidance for parents on how to explore identity safely and respectfully through avatars.
We hope this guide helps young people and their parents learn about virtual self-expression together and gives them tools to safely engage in avatar experiences. Every avatar is a STAR that can let your authentic self shine through - use this guide to get started and see where your imagination takes you!
Meta Avatars let you express yourself in the digital world in new and exciting ways.
Let’s take a minute to think about how to make your Meta Avatar a STAR: Safe, Thoughtful, Authentic and Respectful.
Why make STAR avatars?
As you probably know, people are really intentional about what their avatars look like. They may create looks that showcase their personality or make their avatar look like a stylized version of themselves
Most avatars are a combination of someone’s inner self, physical traits and something more aspirational. Avatars can be a great way to express yourself in ways you might not be able to in the physical world.
Thinking about which parts of your personality and identity you care about through an avatar can be a good place to start! It can sometimes be tough to figure this out, so always talk to a parent or trusted adult if you are not sure how to approach something.
STAR Check:
- What are the parts of myself that I want others to see or know? Why are those important to me?
- What do I want to adjust or change in order to express myself and why?
- Do I want my avatar to be visible to everyone or a limited group of people? Does it depend on which avatar?
Safe
You’re probably pretty thoughtful about protecting your privacy online. The same applies to STAR avatars! A cartoon-like avatar can be a fun alternative to a photo that still represents you.
When we're online, we can share a lot about ourselves. We can show who we are, what we care about, what impression we are trying to make and which communities we belong to.
Avatars can do that too! And other people’s avatars can tell us about them. For example, wearing a shirt with your favorite team or band says to other people that you are a fan. Your avatar can also share more important parts of your identity. It might tell others about your racial, ethnic and cultural belonging, age, gender expression, ability or religion.
Self-presentation in the physical or virtual world is a communication tool just like your voice, and you should use it just as carefully.
Sometimes others read our appearance in ways that are rooted in social stereotypes even if they don’t realize it. These are shortcuts our minds make to interpret the world faster. But these may not be fair, accurate or always helpful. Make sure you ask someone about their avatar choices instead of assuming what they mean! And be aware that others might make assumptions about you that aren’t quite right.
The way your avatar looks, including its body shape, face and clothes, can affect how old you appear to others. For example, some choices might make you look more older or younger than you really are.
When you create your avatar, think about what you want to share with others, how you want to be seen and who you want to interact with.
STAR Check: Staying Safe
In any space, including online, it's important to think about what people could assume about you based on your appearance . For example, depending on how you design your avatar, people may think you are older than you are or interact in ways that are not age-appropriate. This can be uncomfortable. Consider both what you want to share about yourself and what people might be “reading” about you!
Ask Yourself:
- Are there assumptions I make about people with certain physical characteristics?
- What assumptions might people be making about how I am presenting?
- What am I revealing with my avatar and interactions through it?
You probably already have strategies to keep yourself and your friends safe online! Remember if someone wants to know what you “really” look like, think twice before sending them a photo. Be thoughtful about who you connect with and use the strategies you’ve learned to stay safe online. Ask a trusted adult if you’re not sure.
Thoughtful
Think about how your avatar might communicate certain things about you and who will see you.
We use virtual spaces for fun, talking to others and sharing our lives. Just like you show up differently to school, family dinner, work or hanging out, you can bring different "selves" to these spaces. It’s important to think about how you want to show up in a particular space, and why.
Avatar styling choices may be more or less appropriate for certain spaces. You might want a more polished avatar for serious interactions, or a more playful one for games.
You can choose to have the same Meta Avatar everywhere, or use a unique avatar for different apps or spaces. Think about who you interact with on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or Meta Horizon. What do you want to share about yourself with people in those spaces? What do you want to keep private?
Create multiple avatars to capture different moods or highlight different parts of your identity!
STAR Check: Being Thoughtful
Ask yourself:
- How do my avatar’s features, clothing and accessories communicate who I am?
- Who am I interacting with in this space? Is my account private, or can anyone see my avatar?
- Am I making thoughtful choices that are appropriate for this context?
You can choose to create an avatar from scratch, or start with a selfie to help make it look more like you!
Authentic
One of the cool things about avatars is they allow us to decide how we want others to see us in any given space. Everyone can experiment with facial features and hair, makeup and clothing. These can help parts of you shine more brightly through an avatar than they can in the physical world.
Avatars can also be a fun and easy way to try different looks and see how we feel about them. Sometimes our physical appearance feels like a good representation of our “authentic self”. But sometimes we have aspects of ourselves that don’t seem to shine through in the physical world. Maybe your avatar can look closer to how you feel inside!
You can design your avatar to make it authentic to how you see yourself and want others to see you. This Might be different across spaces! It can also vary over time. Some days we feel different, and we all change and grow. Try out different options to find what feels authentic to you - it might look like you do in real life or completely different! There are no rules here.
You might also want to experiment with realism or playfulness. For example, some hair colors might look less realistic than others. Choosing these can paint a picture of playfulness rather than realism. Or, you can transform into a fantastical avatar, like a robot or your favorite movie character! Again, always check the context of the spaces where you'll use your avatar.
STAR Check: Being Authentic
Be mindful of how people who already know you in the physical world may react to your avatar. They may be surprised if your physical presentation is different than your virtual one. Think about the conversations you might have if someone from your "real" life sees you presenting differently online.
On the other hand, some people may only know you as your virtual self and not have any other context about your identity. Think about how these people might “read” you. You can present however you want– but it’s important to be thoughtful and prepared as you step into a range of spaces.
Aspirational
A is for Authentic, but it can also be for Aspirational. Avatars can be both!
People may want their avatar to look “good” in a way that's different from their physical appearance. This can be a fun way to experiment with different looks! But keep in mind that what we think of as “looking good” is often based on the pictures we see of celebrities, athletes or influencers. These images often have "ideal" features that most people don't have in the physical world.
This creates a “stereotypical ideal” look that almost no one can reach in real life. Remember that this ideal look is unrealistic although it might seem real! Even your favorite celebrities probably look different when they’re not in front of a camera. In fact, as editing tools become more advanced, online appearances become less true to the physical world. When you see someone online, it is a representation of how they want you to be seen in that space. Remember this may not be what they actually look like!
There are so many ways you can customize your avatar! Play around with different options to create one that lets your authentic self shine through.
You can change the shape and size of your avatar's face, eyes or nose or make a smaller or larger body. Be aware that these tools may be used to alter what someone actually looks like and remember that “ideals” are unrealistic! Every shape and feature is beautiful.
Remember: inspiring people come in every type of body. Confidence comes from the inside.
STAR Check - Aspirational Avatars
Beauty has been an important value for centuries, in art and culture and civilization. But ask yourself “Why am I trying to “look good”? Do I really believe that these are the things that make people attractive? What messages am I sending about my beliefs about what is attractive and how important appearance is?
If a friend is feeling unhappy with their appearance, remind them that people’s presentation online isn’t the same as physical appearance. Many people use filters and other tools. Encourage them to ask a trusted adult for help with their concerns.
Remember, inspiring people come in every type of body, size, shape and feature! (hair, skin tone, eye or nose shape, etc.)!
What is important and beautiful to you when you make an avatar? Is your avatar true to your sense of what is beautiful?
Ask yourself:
- Does your avatar look like a mold of what is “attractive” or is it unique to who you are?
- Can you use your avatar to broaden the ways we think about beauty?
The range of choices for your avatar can be freeing, but it can also bring complicated feelings about how you look online and offline. Reach out to a trusted adult if you need to talk to someone.
Respectful
There is an even broader range of avatars than there are real people! This is an amazing way of celebrating the different ways that people can look. In fact, there are over a quintillion different ways to make a stylized Meta Avatar!
Everyone in a virtual space has created an avatar that they feel represents them. We should treat everyone in the virtual world with dignity and respect no matter what they look like.
Some aspects of appearance have strong cultural meanings for different groups. These can help your avatar represent your authentic self and your values. But choosing items that have an important meaning to others could be seen as disrespectful even if that was not your intention!
Other people may also have different understandings of items you use for your avatar. Misunderstandings can happen. It can be helpful to ask what different symbols mean to other people, especially if there are misunderstandings.
As you engage with others online, what assumptions are you making based upon how they represent themselves? Do those assumptions affect how you interact with them? Make sure you always explicitly ask before assuming.
STAR Check - Being Respectful
If you choose an avatar that looks different than you do in the physical world, check what messages you are sending about people whose physical appearance does look like this. Ask an adult or friend: “could this be upsetting to someone else?”
Ask yourself:
- What am I trying to say/express with this avatar? Is this kind, authentic and respectful? Could other people misunderstand?
- How can I support my community members if someone is being disrespectful in this way?
- Is this avatar expressing my true self and values? Does it overall make me freer to be me? Does it align with or go against social norms?
Don’t assume! Always ask about someone else’s identities. And if you see disrespectful interactions in virtual spaces, involve a trusted adult. Remember that virtual spaces may have rules for respectful behavior and tools to report people who break them.
A STAR avatar!
Remember, create your avatars mindfully. Be true to yourself in terms of your values and those of our community.
The Final STAR Check:
- If you’re not sure your avatar is sending the right vibe, check with a parent, guardian or other trusted adult. Ask them what your avatar is telling them? Is it sending the message you intended?
- Do the same thing for others! If you think your friend’s avatar might be communicating something unintentional or disrespectful to others, help them to be thoughtful. For example, ask them what they were thinking when they designed their avatar, or what they think others might “read” about it.
- Share your avatar experiences with a trusted adult, especially if they make you feel uncomfortable.
ABC FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ON HELPING YOUR TEEN CREATE “STAR” AVATARS
ASK: Ask your teen about their avatar(s):
- Which parts of themselves is it important that your teen show with their avatar and why? Is it supposed to make people laugh? To connect with an identity or group? To try a completely different or aspirational persona? Try highlighting both an aspect that you find matches their physical appearance and one that doesn’t and ask about those choices.
Ask: “Tell me about your avatar. What are you wanting to tell people about yourself?”
- Communicate with your teen about how others interact with their avatar and their experience of being in virtual spaces. Remind them that context of interactions is important and help them adapt their self-expression across interactions, technologies and audiences. Since your teen may have several avatars, ask them about the choices they make about when to use them.
Ask: “How are people reacting to your new avatar? Why did you choose this one for this app given who you interact with?”
BE INVOLVED: Be collaborative with your teen when they are making their avatar. Try making your own and get them to help you! Play around together with the features and help them think through their self-presentation.
Be Involved:Pick a theme or a mood with your teen and work together to create avatars that convey this. Encourage each other to make choices that are similar or different how you look in the physical world. Ask each other how it feels to represent some aspects differently.
Be Involved:Ask your teen about the meanings of others peoples’ avatars: “Tell me about that? Do you think there could be other interpretations?”
Model asking others thoughtful questions about their use of cultural signs and symbols: “I’m noticing your avatar’s [item]. Can you tell me about what this means to you”?
CONTROLS: Meta offers tools for parents and teens to navigate experiences where they may be using their avatar. Work collaboratively with your teen to find settings that work for your family and can help build a safe environment.
Take a beat!
Teenagers are developing their identity and personality. It is common for teens to play with these aspects while they grow into themselves.
Virtual spaces have community rules and tools for reporting and enforcement that might not exist in physical spaces. These experiences could be a good place for your teen to safely experiment with different parts of themselves and their personality.
Nevertheless, you should be prepared for conversations with your teen about difficult topics, such as bullying and harassment or dissatisfaction with their appearance after seeing highly idealized avatars.
Teenagers are developing their identity and personality. It is common for teens to play with these aspects while they grow into themselves.
Virtual spaces have community rules and tools for reporting and enforcement that might not exist in physical spaces. These experiences could be a good place for your teen to safely experiment with different parts of themselves and their personality.
Nevertheless, you should be prepared for conversations with your teen about difficult topics, such as bullying and harassment or dissatisfaction with their appearance after seeing highly idealized avatars.
Tips for Constructive Conversations
- Help teens to make choices that are aligned with their values by inviting them to describe why they chose certain traits for their avatar.
- Prompt teens to do the same with others. Encourage asking questions about identity rather than making assumptions based on appearance.
- Talk about ways that different communities may use customization options and how to use these respectfully if they are not a part of those communities.
RELATED RESOURCES
Online social comparison and positive self-image | The Jed Foundation
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