“The Me I Want You to See”: The Use of Video Game Avatars to Explore Identity in Gifted Adolescents

Abstract

Gifted adolescents may identify as “gamers” who create avatars to navigate video games and cell phone apps. Avatars provide a unique venue through which gifted teens can explore the issues of self and identity in a critical time of their development. The purpose of this article is to (a) provide an overview of what avatars are, (b) explain how avatars can be a venue to explore concepts of identity for gifted students, and (c) suggest how educators can utilize the concept of avatars in their classroom activities. We provide questions that educators can use to facilitate dialogue with their gifted adolescents about avatars and identity.

Digital Game-Based Heritage Education: Analyzing the Potential of Heritage-Based Video Games

“…'Identity-Driven' design was a significant characteristic observed in 85% of the analyzed games. This design approach encompasses character customization, narrative choices reflecting the player's personal values or decisions, and game mechanics that adapt in response to the player's identity-related choices [69,70]. In these games, characters are portrayed not merely as protagonists, but also as friends, family members, or anthropomorphized animals, engaging in human-like interactions, as seen in Night in the Woods.…”