Escape From Human: An Interview Study of Social VR Players Practicing Self-Expression Through Avatars that Self-Identify as “Non-Human”

In social virtual reality (VR) platforms, players can embody “non-human” avatars, which are representations whose appearance or skeletal structure diverge from typical human characteristics. This capability fosters the emergence of distinctive cultures of social interaction. This paper reports on interviews with users who employ such avatars, investigating (1) motivations for their adoption, (2) their impact on social interactions, and (3) challenges encountered when employing them in social contexts. Our findings reveal that users adopt “non-human” avatars both to escape the expectations and norms associated with the human body—thereby enabling more relaxed social communication—and to gain access to new forms of embodied experience and creative self-expression. The study also provides empirical evidence and discussion on the cultures of social interaction mediated by alternative embodiments, changes in bodily perception resulting from prolonged use, functional and social challenges related to avatar use, and the design strategies and etiquette practices developed to overcome them.