Transformed Social Interaction: Exploring the Digital Plasticity of Avatars

 Bailenson and Beall begin with two questions that get straight to the heart of the matter, "What does it mean to be you? How drastically can a person change and still remain...the same person?"  These bring to mind the work of author Terry Pratchett.  In one of his books (The 5th Elephant) a king explains about his father's axe.  Sharp as could be at one point, in time the blade became rusty and needed to be replaced.  Awhile later the handle split and was replaced.  Yet the object remained wholly his father's axe.  Though we may alter pieces of our personality, our core remains.  Never before has it been so easy to alter ourselves and 'try on' new identities than it is with the advent of collaborative virtual environments (CVE) and the avatar.

The authors refer to this ability as Transformed Social Interaction (TSI).  They divide TSI into three dimensions.

1. Sensory Abilities: Humans can acquire augmented perceptual abilities in digital environments.  These could be algorithms that provide real-time summary statistics about the movement and attention of others or the avatars of others that only you can see.
2. Situational Context: Each individual can adjust the geography of the room to suit his or her needs.  Imagine a classroom in which every students is at the front of the class with his or her peers behind.  Furthermore the ability to use 'pause' and 'rewind' features while an avatar is set to 'auto-pilot' greatly alter the ability to comprehend and be productive during interactions.
3. Self-Representation: As we have seen in other articles, the ability to alter the way in which one's avatar is rendered can have an incredible impact on online interactions.

It is on this third dimension that the chapter focuses.  They outline a number of ways that transforming one's self-representation can have drastic effects on online interaction.  The first of which is altering one's appearance based on markers captured from an audience member.  This will promote implicit feelings of similarity - which has been demonstrated to effect social influence. They continue with the concept of 'Team Face'.  Aspects of each team member's physical appearance are incorporated into an avatar that reflects all of them. Once again, this similarity has large effects on our perceptions of the interaction.

This science transfers nicely from the visual to the acoustic.  Voice can be transformed in various ways and for numerous ends.  The classic example of  using a voice changer to disguise one's voice is just one aspect of what the technology is capable of doing.  The author's believe that the effects of altering one's voice would be similar to that of altering one's physical appearance.

Bailenson & Beall continue by exploring the effects of digital chameleons - see an earlier post for more on how altering one's behaviour to appear similar to another person can alter the interaction between the two.

The author's finish by concluding that these dimensions make it difficult to trust online interactions.  What is real and what is virtual?  TSI offers users a vast amount of options when it comes to altering online interactions.  Those who fully understand the impacts of this are positioned to exploit those who are unaware.  with everything going online it will be important to be critical when accepting what one discovers online.  Even that political debate could be biased due to TSI.

Bailenson, J. N., & Beall, A. C. (2006). Transformed social interaction: exploring the digital plasticity of avatars. In R. Schroeder (Ed.), Avatars at work and play (pp. 1 - 16). Netherlands: Springer.

Body and mind: a study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds

With millions of users involved in virtual worlds, the authors of this study have decided to focus on the avatar as a visual representation of identity.  Beyond the sophisticated ability to control body language through the virtual representation, this took chose to focus on the physical form of the avatar itself.  They cite references that document the use of avatars to represent aspects of one's 'ideal self'.  While the whole may not be representative of the user, they aid in the establishment of self-esteem.

The researchers noted that, "Most participants (68%) create avatars looking different from themselves..." Female users are more likely to create avatars that are idealized versions of themselves, whereas male users tend to create avatars that stand out more in the virtual world.  Age-wise, older users were more likely to create an avatar based on an ideal self.  When avatars differ from the physical self it is usually in the areas of attractiveness, physical fitness, and standing out from the crowd (in that order).

Taking it to the next logical step, the researchers explored the attachment participants had to their avatars.  Those that created an idealized self were more attached to the avatar, with older participants once again having a larger level of attachment to this ideal self.

When exploring the psychology of the avatar versus that of the physical user the researchers were able to replicate earlier studies point for point.  Avatars are more conscientious, extroverted, and less 'neurotic'.  they also found avatars to be less open than the physical self.  Those participants that reported the smallest differences between their physical and virtual identities ranked themselves as being more pleased with their avatars.  Furthermore, the more time a user spends online, the less difference will be found between their online and offline identities.  The disconnect between who they are offline and who they are trying to be online is simply too much to handle.

It is true that we enjoy altering ourselves online to experiment, but we often abandon those experiments when they are too far from our 'real' selves.  It would be interesting to explore case studies of individuals who create avatars who are very different from their physical selves in both appearance and personality.  Would the dissonance become overwhelming in short order? I also wonder who those with dissociative disorders would react in a similar study.

Ducheneaut, N., Wen, M., Yee, N., & Wadley, G. (2009). Body and mind: a study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Proceedings of the 27th international conference on Human factors in computing systems, 1, Retrieved from http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=1518701.1518877 doi: 1518701.1518877

Digital Chameleons

The 'Chameleon Effect' refers to the, "Tendency for mimickers to gain social influence in computer-mediated communication."  In past studies, Bailenson & Yee report, participants show a preference toward confederates that mimick non-verbal communication and gestures.  They rated these chameleons as more likable and their interactions as more smooth.  The authors argue that, "Both unintentional (automatic) and intentional mimicry facilitate and express social affiliation and prosocial behaviour..."

For the study Bailenson & Yee used a Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE) where participants in different locations had their verbal and nonverbal behaviours mapped onto online avatars.  Because the CVEs are completely digital it is easy for a user, through the use of an algorithm, to mimic other users, even to go so far as to have one's avatar appear differently to individual users.

The findings were interesting.  Bailenson & Yee note that participants viewed the mimicking agent as more persuasive and likable, and were less likely to turn their heads such that the chameleon was outside their field of vision.  They also state that the participants no the whole did not explicitly notice they were being mimicked.

The authors do note that the mimicking agent acted in a way that was contingent on the participants behaviour, and that this could have confounded the study as it was an uncontrolled variable. 

Bailenson & Yee continue by telling us that the chameleon effect continues, even when the participant knew the agent was the embodiment of a non-human artificial intelligence. 

This suggests that with a few relatively simple lines of code a person can create an online avatar that will be positioned to create the best possible impression in a virtual environment.  It will be interesting to discover what effect this could have in online commercial dealings or business relationships.

Bailenson, J., & Yee, N. (2005). Digital chameleons automatic assimilation of nonverbal gestures in immersive virtual environments. Psychological Science, 16(10), 814-819.

Identity Management in Cyberspace

 Suler identifies five interlocking factors that allow us to navigate how we manage our online identity. 

Level of Dissociation and Integration
Our personalities are created of many different facets - roles we play in different situations.  Online we are able to parse these aspects according to the specific environment.  In each situation we make a decision as to how much we share about ourselves.  While this occurs in the offline world as well, it is more concentrated online as many of the groups we join reflect only one small aspect of our personality.  Suler states, "The desire to remain anonymous reflects the need to eliminate those critical features of your identity that you do not want to display in that particular environment or group." 


Positive and Negative Valence
Our different components can each be assigned a value of positive or negative.  Showing empathy would be a positive trait, while criticizing the flaws of others unduly would reflect negatively upon our character.  Beyond the basic altruistic values of good and bad, we can feel negative emotions towards aspects of our personalities that are seen as positive by others.  All of this charges our online interactions.  Suler suggests that those who behave in a negative fashion online are discharging a negatively charged aspect of their personality - venting their emotions, or trying to work through that aspect of their personality in a 'safe' way. 

Level of Fantasy or Reality
The situation itself dictates rules for how one presents him- or herself.  In these situations one does not pretend to be something other than what they are - well, not often anyway.  In other situations, like a MMORPG, it is expected that a person will give themselves over to character.  Some aspects may change, physical appearance, occupation, name, while others may stay the same.  Suler states, "The tricky phenomonological issue with the real versus the fantasy self is this: what is one's TRUE identity?" 

Level of Conscious Awareness and Control
We are not always aware of how we present ourselves.  When we engage in online interactions it is possible that aspects of our personality we try to keep hidden will leak out.  The name we select on a whim may reflect a deeper symbolic meaning to which we have not paid attention.  It is possible in this way for online characters to 'take on a life of their own'.  Sometimes this allows us to gain insights into personalities.  Yet others may resist looking more closely at themselves in this way and continue to, "Live under the illusion that they are in control of themselves."

The Media Chosen
We express who we are in a myriad of different ways - from the clothes we wear, music we listen to, movies and television we watch, and the other media we consume.  " Extending the logic of the statement, 'The medium is the message,' we might even be so bold as to say, 'The medium is the self.'"  The very form we chose to express our identity online says much about who we are.  From linguistic- and semantically focused text messagers to visualizers who prefer detailed avatars, what we say is not always as important as how we say it. 

Suler has identified these five traits, but fails to explain the implications of these aspects.  Are these sliding scales that could be used to create a typography of online personalities?  It is unfortunate that Suler ends the article at this point, without further exploring the issues raised.

Suler, John R. (2002). Identity management in cyberspace. Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies, 4 (4), 455-459.

The Effect of Transformed Self-Representation on Behavior

The first thing that caught me in this article was the concept of the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE).  The gist of which states that the very things that deindividualize us online - like anonymity - may actually reinforce group norms and conformity in social situations.  This was a huge surprise to me as I, like a large majority I expect, assume that anonymity online leads to negative behaviours more often than not.

Yee et al. also explore Self-Perception Theory as it pertains to online environments.  In short the theory states that, "We observe our own behaviours to understand what attitudes may have caused them."  We react to emotional and physical stimuli by trying to understand what has caused those stimuli, and then react to the situation.  The study gives the example of someone who is paid to do something they already enjoy.  Often, that person will begin to enjoy the task less because an impartial observer would have concluded that they are doing it more for the money than the task itself.

Lastly, Yee et al. refer to Behavioural Confirmation.  In a long list of studies it has been found that we react to the way we are perceived by others by altering our behaviour to match those perceptions.  If others react to the attractiveness of an avatar in a positive fashion, it can cause the owner of that avatar to behave in a more friendly and charming manner.

The study then suggests that these are all possible pieces of the Proteus Effect: our online avatars have the power to effect how we behave online.  Because the online environment cause deindividuation, we take cues from our avatars in how to act.

The two experiments conducted give evidence of this.  In the first, the attractiveness of an avatar was altered and the reactions of others to that avatar were explored.  Participants opened up more to the attractive avatar, which in turn, allowed the user to be more forthcoming and open.  In the second experiment height was used as the variable.  The suggestion being that the taller avatars would act more confidently in a game.  Once again, though not right away, participants reacted to the increase height of their avatars by acting more boldly in situations. 

"Our self-representations shape our behaviours in turn."  What a concept.  We create our avatars as representations of ourselves, perhaps our true selves, yet these avatars then alter the way we behave in social situations online.  The next step is to consider whether or not these changes in our online interactions alter the way we behave in physical situations.  Through the process of psychological learning and behaviour modification it could be expected that if someone spent enough time online with a modified behavioural profile and as a result received enough positive reinforcement for those behaviours, their offline behaviour would be altered as well.

Wow.

Yee, N., & Bailenson, J. (2007). The Proteus effect: the effect of transformed self-representation on behavior. Human Communication Research, 33(3), 271-290.

The Unbearable Likeness of Being Digital

Yee et al. have carried out a very interesting study in which they used the precise measurements available to them in the virtual environment of Second Life to document aspects of body language used in physical communication.  As a part of this study they looked at Inter-personal distance and mutual gaze. 

In the physical world, male-male dyads have significantly more distance between them when interacting than male-female or female-female dyads.  In short - men stand further apart when speaking to each other.  This can be altered depending on age, ethnicity, culture and affiliation. 

Mutual gaze refers to the number of times during a conversation that two people look at each other.  Once again, males tend to make less gaze contact than females in the physical world.  This is also used to signal that someone is too close during physical contact.  If someone is invading your personal space we signal to them by glancing away that we require more room.

The findings suggested that the norms in the physical world are significantly correlated to the norms in the virtual world.  Males tend to require more personal space.  The closer two people were, the less they looked at each other, and within a given distance, more eye contact typically meant a dialogue.

The authors suggest that this means we can use virtual worlds to study social concepts.  This would allow more flexible studies, a wider target pool and easy repeatability.  They also acknowledge that this study is based on only a single virtual world so the findings here may not be represented in others.

Looking at the results I find it interesting that we use the same mannerisms in virtual worlds as we do in the physical.  The more I read the more I discover that the veil between the real and the virtual is disintegrated quickly.    We put so much time and effort into building our virtual selves, and yet we are still caught in the same patterns of behaviour as we are in the offline world.  As virtual worlds become more and more advanced we find that starting with the familiar grounds us.

If that is true then perhaps this will all change quickly.  If we look at the example of texting it is easy to see how quickly things can change.  Emails were originally short letters and many in the business world will still tell you that keeping things formal is the best way to go.  Yet as more and more people email and text with greater regularity, we find that the language changes, those familiar norms we began with were altered.

If anything, life in the virtual world changes far faster than that in the physical.  It will be interesting to see what comes next.

Yee, N., Bailenson, J. N., Urbanek, M. , Chang, F.,; & Merget, D. (2007). The unbearable likeness of being digital: the persistences of nonverbal social norms in online virtual environments. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(1), 115 - 121.

Granting personality to a virtual identity

Van Kokswijk begins with a very interesting statement, "For some individuals their virtual persona is at least as important as their real life image." Even though this virtual identity is often, "Embellished to make the person appear more intelligent, sexier, skinner or bolder."  Van Kokswijk continues to note the virtual identities are often individualized, from unique spellings of names, to specific visual or text clues.  This is done because individuals need to be recognized in their online identity, just as they need to be in person.  Truly, it is also a need for the software that uses databases linked to unique or key values to store information about our virtual selves.

Perhaps that is part of the reason our virtual persona is just as important, if not more so, to us than our physical self.  It is possible to create everything, from name and gender to background and lifestyle to be what we idolize.  This very development of a self outside of the physical could be similar to a new parents feelings for an infant - something has been brought into the world through one's own power.  It is scared and important for that reason. 

Van Kokswijk continues that with the development of new technologies the 'makeability' of people increases.  Now it is easy to add a voice, manipulated photos, it no longer needs to reflect reality in anyway. What may begin as a simple pseudonym may eventually grow into a fully developed online personality.


From here, van Kokswijk continues to explore the legalities surrounding virtual identities and the possible need, in the near future, to establish a legal precedent for their use in contracts and other legal matters.

What is of most interest is the detail the paper goes into in describing how virtual persona's are created.  It summarizes this by speaking of specific differences between the real and the virtual identity: Identity Fluidity, Renovated Hierarchies, and Informational Space.

Identity Fluidity refers to the process by which these personalities are created.  while it is possible for a user to appear differently each time an identity is used, a greater picture begins to develop over time.  While this may not be akin to the offline personality, it is in its own way unique.


Unfortunately, the paper appears not to fully describe the other two features.

Whether or not a virtual identity is considered a 'person' under the law or not, the very notion that we are considering a need for such a definition says a lot about how much we have developed our online personas.  If we are putting in enough detail that these persistent Avatars that they are being granted legal rights, what would come next?

van Kokswijk, J. (2008). Granting personality to a virtual identity. International Journal of Human and Social Sciences, 2(4), Retrieved from http://www.waset.ac.nz/journals/ijhss/v2/v2-3-37.pdf

The Expression of Personality in Virtual Worlds

Personality is an interesting thing. It can be experienced face to face, indirectly through the artifacts one leaves in personal spaces, even technologically across facebook and personal websites. The question follows then: how do our interactions in virtual worlds express our personality?

My last post spoke of the susceptibility of children to false memories created through their interactions with virtual worlds. The question that lingers is that of the real vs the virtual - what is real? If a person behaves one way during physical interactions and another in virtual interactions is one more 'real' than the other? Or are both just a function of the same personality expressing itself?

Yee et al (cited below) found that we express our personality in both behavioural and linguistic forms in virtual worlds. Yet they admit that their findings do not agree with previous studies on the issue.

They explored what the termed as the 'Big Five' personality factors: Emotional Stability, Extroversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Their findings suggest that how we behave in virtual worlds remains consistent over time - not in comparison to the physical world necessarily, however. On the contrary, the language we use tends to change more often. The authors of the study suggest that is because of situational interference in the measures they used. When an individual can, "Teleport from a poetry reading to a disco party" it is expected that one's language would change to reflect the different situations.

They continue to argue that is is the measure itself that failed as internet language is vastly different in nature from spoken or more formal written forms.

So what does this all mean? The important take away from this piece seems to be that how we behave in the virtual world is consistent over time. This suggests that rather than just putting on a new face we are exploring facets of our true selves. Our Avatars are not completely cut off from our physical mental states.

This would suggest that while some can changes Avatars as they would clothes, most of us are more personally invested in our online selves. What this study fails to tell us is just how these moments in virtual space correspond to our physical selves. Can predictions of personality based on online observances be used to predict behaviour in physical situations?

I remember the philosophy of dualism. The mind and body are thought to be separate but connected entities. Do our forays into virtual worlds extend this to a third self? Are we all made up of a mind, body, and Avatar?

Yee, N., Harris, H., Jabon, M., & Bailenson, J. N. (2010). The Expression of personality in virtual worlds. VHIL: Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Retrieved from vhil.stanford.edu

Virtually True: Children's acquisition of false memories in virtual reality

I recently had the opportunity to read a journal article by the title above.  What caught me on first glance was how pertinent it was to my teaching subject matter: media literacy.  Our students these days are more and more often presented with images of children in new and exciting situations.  When added to the repetitive nature of advertising and the ubiquitous media experience of today's child, I was very interested in seeing what the study had found.

The study begins by suggesting a simple way to categorize how media-rich a medium is.  Each medium can be broken down into four subsets - Feedback, Multiple Cues, Language Variety, and Personal Focus.  A virtual world scores highly as it can provide immediate feedback to the user; allows for cues both of a visual and auditory nature - and in more advanced units even touch and taste; includes spoken, written, and body language in as many different languages as the user can comprehend; and, with the right avatar, it can be a highly personal experience as a child can watch him- or herself carrying out an action.

What quickly caught my attention was the line, "The representation of the self can be a powerful factor in eliciting false memories in preschool and elementary children."  The study continues to find that while very young children are already highly susceptible to false memories, school-aged children are more prone to false memories that come from a virtual experience.

Many of my students are participants in numerous virtual worlds.  While not as personal and inclusive as the method used in this study, I have to wonder how children handle participating in both real and virtual worlds on a daily basis.  It is hard enough to teach children the difference between fantasy and reality at a young age - what happens if they remember doing things that they later find out are impossible in real life?

Yet the more important question is really this: If I remember swimming with sharks in a virtual world, is that a false memory? Did I have the experience or not?  While the authors of the study would point out that it is a false memory because I have never physically been in that situation, I have to wonder.  Is a virtual friendship less real than a physical one? Does there need to be a difference between the real and the virtual, or is it all just a part of the larger experience?

Segovia, K. Y., & Bailenson, J. N. (2009). Virtually true: Children's acquisition of false memories in virtual reality. Media Psychology, 12, 371 - 393.

When Data Rules, Students Are Left Behind

We all know the arguments against using standardized tests.  We are aware that offering incentives based on sales figures or other hard data cause the best of people to blur the lines in order to improve their results.

In the United States there is a big to do currently around using student performance to decide the value of a teacher.  While I do not agree that a teacher who has more experience in the classroom is necessarily a better educator, I cannot believe that we actually feel, if a one's job is on the line, that educators would not do whatever they can to make the data look favorable. 

In #edchat lately there was a discussion on alternatives to grading in the classroom.  A number of interesting posts came to the fore, but for those of us in K-8 education, the options are limited.  Report cards will be coming out soon, and not having grades is not an option.

In our classrooms we talk about differentiation using technology and other resources.  We talk about assessment for learning, instead of assessment of learning.  Our case management meetings, staff meetings, network meetings, family of school meetings - they all focus on helping our students achieve using whatever means are at our disposal.  How can be help each student learn in his or her own way?

My school district is enlightened.  We tackle issues in a genuine and in-depth way.  Yet we still rely on standardized tests to provide data.  Standardized tests for non-standard students.

I have long since come to terms with this oddity.  But what has floored me in recent days is our melding of the standardized testing of reading with the concept that every student learns differently.

We use the Developmental Reading Assessment.  As a student teacher I was placed in a pilot school when the test first came to our district.  Since that time I have been pioneering the test in schools from one side of the region to the other.  It is based on psychometric principles and does a good job of letting one know both how well a student can read, and how well he or she can comprehend what has been read.

Is it perfect? Heck no.  Does it work? Yes.

What is killing me right now are our new rules regarding students with identified special education needs.  The reading passage can be read to the students by a computer.  Yes.  This supposed test of reading ability can be transmitted orally to the student.  What is more, students are allowed to read passages many years below their grade level and have those results melded with their actual grade level text to demonstrate that they read "at level".

When we submit our data to the Board, it can include numerous instances where students marks have no representation of their actual ability to read.  Huh?!

We are so caught up in a data-driven culture that we are beginning to collect data that makes no sense.  It is time for the pendulum to swing back.

Blended Learning and the role of the teacher

Blended Learning is a powerful pedagogy. It is more than just the incorporation of technology in order to carry out traditional learning tasks in non-traditional ways. In order to be effective, it must intrinsically motivate students to achieve learning goals collaboratively. If this is carried out, it can lead to an increase in test scores and grades, improve student's writing ability, create more and more positive opportunities for co-operation and improve student - student and student - teacher discussions related to the curriculum. Most importantly, a classroom in which blending is being carried out effectively reports vastly different set of roles for the teacher and the learner.

As students begin to take more and more control over their own learning, deciding themselves what it is they wish to learn, the role of the teacher is forever altered. No longer does he or she take centre stage and disseminate the information in a set schedule according to his or her aims. The teacher must willingly give up control of what is taught and when it is taught. Students will begin to seek out the information they require, when they require it. This "just-in-time" learning model (Bolton, 1999) redefines the relationship between teacher and student by allowing the teacher to step back from the instruction and instead work to guide his or her students to the correct learning.

Teachers, educators, no longer need to focus on teaching specific information, but on the teaching of skills and processes.  It is no longer important to be the centre of attention, disseminating information.  It is instead necessary to step into the background, give up control, and allow students to lead the path to their own learning.

On Life-Long Learning

In the early 1700s, Yamamoto Tsunetomo stated (as recorded in the Hagakure):

In one's life, there are levels in the pursuit of study.  In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskillful.  At this point he is worthless.  In the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others.  In a higher level he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others and laments lack of ability in his fellows.  This man has worth.  In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.

These are the levels in general.  But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all.  This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never thinks of himself as having finished.  He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded.  He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end.  It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, "I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself."

Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today.  This is never-ending.

As long as we are open to to new opportunities there is no end to the possible value we can add to our practice.  I had a conversation with my biggest critic the other day.  Where I use technology, she shies away, preferring the tried and tested traditional forms.  Without realizing what she is doing she argues the well-worn paths of equity issues, and support concerns.  She identifies the myriad of problems can occur when incorporating technology into the classroom.

A fabulous teacher who constantly seeks self-improvement, she consistently ignores the possibilities technology can offer her program.  Through her I learn patience.  I learn not to dive in with both feet at the slightest opportunity.  Through me she advances, baby-step by baby-step.

With an open mind all things are possible. 

The life of a Digital Refugee

Marc Prensky will go down in history for coining the concept of the digital native and digital immigrant in 2001. The terms, well known in educational circles have always left me wondering. It is clear that between the great divide of immigrant and native there must be others, those who do not fit into these two extreme camps.

Researching a paper I recently came across Cheri Toledo's further musing on the concept in which she further identifies key players in the digital age: the Digital Recluse, Digital Refugee, Digital Explorer, Digital Innovator, Digital Addict, and Digital Tourist.

A Digital Recluse is one who uses technology because he or she has to. Computers are an accepted evil in the work world and are banned in the home. Similarly, a Digital Refugee is one who is forced to utilize technology. One to whom a hard copy is a thing of beauty, as all electronic copies are but fleeting versions of the truth. The Digital Explorer can be seen up late on twitter, facebook or other social media sites, looking for new horizons to conquer and new ways to incorporate technology into the landscape. Digital Innovators adapt and change old tools to suit new tasks. While the Digital Addict is relient on technology and will actually go through a withdrawal phase when it is removed. Finally, the Digital Tourist embraces the language and tools of the digital age only while in contact with it. They resist the application of technology to their personal and professional lives.

What caught me initially was the fact that these definitions still fail to describe me. What I initially saw as a series of different identities, I quickly came to recognize as many similar facets of the same person. What is the true difference between a Recluse, a Refugee and a Tourist? Is an addict a true sub-category, or a set of traits that can be applied to any native?

I feel a new definition is required, and try as I might I cannot escape the use of the term Refugee to describe my place in the digital age.

By definition a refugee has no place to call home. Feeling persecuted in their birth place they seek shelter in a new land. This nicely defines my position in the technological world. I am not a native. I can readily identify vast differences in the way they think in comparison to my own perceptions. While I understand much of the language, there are nuances that I can never hope to recognize. New patterns evolve daily and I am forced to try to keep up to keep my footing in an alien world.

Yet I am no digital immigrant. A computer is no closed book to me. I willingly use technology to meet all of my goals, and do recognize its potential. I utilize it in my professional and personal life to attain ends impossible to describe. Sitting down in front of a computer is not a fear-invoking experience. It evokes no emotional response whatsoever. My computers are a part of my life, and thus they cut me off from the world of the Digital Immigrant. I am no Babes in Toyland - and yes, I fully understand that reference.

It is time for a new meaning to be attached to the term Digital Refugee. I am reclaiming the label for all who are a kin to myself. Those who feel adrift in a digital ocean, looking for a port to call home.

Will you join me?