“Simulcra” is a term that refers to when the reality of a “construct”
(person, thing or experience) is overtaken by its representation, so much so
that the reality of the construct is removed from its reality (Felluga).
There are a number of ways in modern society
that we can see examples of Simulcra occurring, and during this blog I will
discuss two. The first is social media
in general. As society becomes more
easily connected through social media, but less personally connected through less
personal interactions in real life, the idea of the avatar becoming us, or us
becoming our Avatar, is an interesting concept.
An Avatar is a creation of our ideal selves, usually representing an
idealised If you use chat rooms, twitter,
facebook, online dating services or any other form of social media, the Avatar
is used to represent the user. But what type of representation do we make in
the virtual worlds of facebook or if trying to find a partner through online
dating? Social desirability theory tells
us that humans have a basic tendency to present themselves in the best possible
light (Burton, Westen, Kowlaski 2011).
We are liable to stretch the truth in order
to impress others, whether that be a prospective date or Facebook friends. We present such an idealised creation of
ourselves to the outside world, that there could be the danger that this
idealised presentation is the mask that we then use to hide our true selves,
shying away from creating real relationships that are not online.
The second way I think Simulcra can be seen in modern
society is through massively multiplayer on-line
roleplaying games (MMORPG), such as World of Warcraft (WOW). WOW is ostensibly a war game, and has
become a worldwide phenomenon due to its ability to transform the identity of
its players from their “real” selves into mighty warriors or wizards. During
this disassociation from reality, players assume these identities in a group,
working with their teammates to accomplish missions. It can take years to create a character, and
these characters can be sold in the real world for hundreds of dollars. There is the real possibility of addiction to
games such as these, as players who are at increased risk of loneliness ,and
who experience online liberation whilst playing, have been found to be
susceptible to addictive behaviours with these type of online games (Parsons,
2005).
Research has found up to 40% of WOW players may be addicted -
Players often play for many hours at a time, with serious
social and mental health consequences.
As the reach and sophistication of social media increases,
the question can be asked what of the future?
I can see the potential for people to live their lives through their
avatar, their online identity, their heroic WOW character, and this separation
from reality may be a tempting prospect for people that suffer from a lack of
confidence or insecurity about their body image.
References
Felluga, D 2011, Modules on Baudrillard: On
simulation, Introductory to Postmodernism, viewed Tuesday 25 January 2014,
<http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/postmodernism/modules/baudrillardsimulation.html>.
Parsons, J. M. "An examination of massively multiplayer
online role-playing games as a facilitator of internet addiction." PhD
diss., University of Iowa, 2005.
Burton.
L., Westen, D., & Kowalski, R (2012) Psychology:
Australia and New Zealand, (3rd Ed). Brisbane: Wiley
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