Identity Experiment in the Metaverse: Making Sense of Zepeto Users’ Avatar Use

Abstract

With the proliferation of online platforms that support avatar-based communication, the notion of metaverse has drawn much public attention. Using a mixed-method approach, the current work explores how users experiment with their avatars in Zepeto, a popular metaverse service with millions of users globally. Based on in-depth interviews with South Korean Zepeto users (N = 14), Study 1 examined how individuals construct their self-identity in the virtual world and found that sociocultural constraints of the real world still shape the way they perform their virtual identities. Building upon the findings of Study 1, Study 2 (N = 200) examined how users’ personality traits, self-esteem, and need for popularity predict the multiplicity, malleability, and continuity of virtual identity using an online survey. Results suggest that people create and maintain their virtual identities in reflection of their self-views as well as in pursuit of unfulfilled needs.