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Journal Article

Virtual Reality and Social Networks Will Be a Powerful Combination: Avatars will make social networks seductive

Half a billion people around the world spend more than 20 hours a week "wearing" avatars, that is, using digital representations of themselves. Did you know that a virtual representation of a politician could be more convincing than the politician himself? That your heart beats just as fast when your girlfriend winks at you from your computer screen as when she walks into the room? That if you make your onscreen surrogate mimic your friend's head movements, he's more likely to do what you say?

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Author(s)
J.N. Bailenson
J. Blascovich
Journal Name
IEEE Spectrum
Publication Date
2011