The Haven Virtual Environments
But why is this? Often times people feel ashamed of who they are or they wish that they were somebody else. It is harder to hide your true self in real life than it is online, which is what is so appealing about virtual environments. These virtual worlds allow us to warp ourselves into exactly who and what we want to be. Whether it be a different species or a differently gender. Virtual environments allow us to do this.
Virtual environments such as the online role playing game, Second Life, provides a safe haven for those who wish to transform into a different bodily forms, such as gender reassignment or species reassignment, without the permanence of a procedure or judgement of their peers.
In the article, Becoming Dragon it says, “In Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) one has the ability to test out a new body, a new kind of hair or a new gender in a social realm where one has a visual image of that new body...Clearly, while experimenting with a new gender or hair color or species in a MUVE, one is free of the social consequences and physical dangers of such experimentation in one’s daily life.” Virtual environments offer a more reasonable solution for those who want to change their bodies and express who they are on the inside.
