From Uniforms to Unicorns

One topic that’s swept the globe in the past decade is that of identity. From pronouns to breaking fashion stereotypes, many conversations have been had – largely by younger generations. With the rise of technology, gaming has become more than just entertainment for young people worldwide. Modern gaming platforms offer opportunities to earn income, carve out careers, and foster meaningful relationships. To become the ideal version of oneself. 

With more than 3 billion gamers worldwide, and according to Statista, 3% of the population is gender non-conforming, then there are 90 million gamers that would benefit from more inclusive games, narratives, and avatar choices. 

Beyond gaming, we all create, extend, and explore new identities and relations online. Digital identity is the set of attributes that authenticates and describes a person. In gaming, it includes the names, avatars, accessories, achievements, progress, and stories of every character someone has in different worlds. From this perspective, our digital identity can also be seen as the social connections, interactions and reputation within a community and across several platforms. Digital identity should be unique and secure for authentication purposes, but also multiple and fluid when considering expression and social interactions. For younger individuals, it is crucial to prioritize online security. This helps prevent vulnerabilities such as cyberbullying and identity theft, safeguards against privacy concerns, ensures a positive impact on educational aspects, and allows for effective parental guidance.

Offline, our identity is unique and multiple. Gender identity, a person's sense of being male, female, fluid, trans, or non-binary is an important aspect to consider when expressing identity online. According to a study mentioned by Times magazine, in the US, around 30% of the people born before 1995 believe there are more than two genders compared to 51% of people born between 1995 and 2012. GenZ are more fluid with their gender expression and do not make a sharp division between their offline and online life. 

Creating an avatar for a game or a virtual world brings identity to the forefront. For the player, having the possibility of choosing beyond the standard body types, races or genders is important because it allows them to express themselves in the virtual world, as they want others to see them – and to find allies. It also allows for experimentation. This is crucial for young gamers who are exploring their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria to experiment free of physical confrontation.

Beyond being represented, feeling included is what matters most. Being allowed to be different, and feeling safe to participate are two different things. Inclusion is about having a voice, being heard and respected as a valuable member of a diverse community. At a personal level, while diversity is a fact, inclusion is a feeling. 

At times, a unique and secure digital identity safeguards our data. In a game, we might want to be a fantastic creature, while on social apps, a realistic photo profile that matches our personality and gender expression might be the best option. From uniforms to unicorns, identity in the metaverse is also a set of interconnected spectrums. The possibilities are endless, but the struggles are the same both online and offline: gender equality, unconscious bias, racism, classism, and all forms of discrimination. These problems need to be considered and addressed when developing inclusive games and virtual platforms. 

In this article, we looked at the complexities of digital identity from a personal perspective. From the side of the gamer. But are companies doing their audiences justice? In the next article, we will look further at representation and inclusion in the gaming and fashion industry.

Image credits: Open Source Afro Hair Library