Avatars have come a long way since first being featured in computer games such as Habitat and Shadowrun during the 1980's. In the 21st century, avatars have become popular outside of the gaming world, and they are being used in all aspects of online interraction. For some, Avatars provide a sense of anonymity as well as a sense of identity. Some websites such as Gaia Online and Second Life are social networking sites dedicated to the use of an avatar, which is capable of creating an alternate reality for anybody that's interested.
Avatars are beginning to become incorporated into everyday life as well, dissolving the divide between the digital world in the real world. Dr. Jim Blascovich and Dr. Jeremy Bailenson predict in their new book, Infinite Reality, that within the next five years your avatar will allow you to be in two places at once . One's physical being could be completing daily tasks while the avatar is presenting information at a virtual board meeting. They give credit to three innovations that inspired the idea:
- X-box Kinect
- Nintendo 3ds
- Jeporady! (online)
The crafting of an avatar itself has become more complex and detailed. Microsoft has received a patent to construct an avatar generator that will deeply reflect an individuals physical characteristics, thus lessening the divide between the digital world and the real world that much more. The patent states that physiological data (such as mood and physical health) will dictate the virtual interaction. Avatars continue to evolve as the divide between the digital world and the real world disappear.