Putting a Face on Things - Putting a Face on Things - page 13

Figure 1
Media equation: We treat images that appear on a screen as real. Image of Desire Strangelove, of
the series “13 Most Beautiful Avatars.” With this series artists Eva and Franco Mattes explore the
visual impact of Second Life avatars. Credit: Eva and Franco Mattes, Postmasters
In a time of accelerated simulation such as ours, I ask what are the implications of
the media equation. If our use of avatars is deeper and broader than ever before, if we
are nearly constantly mediated, then how are we making judgments between the real
and the virtual? The answer is: we are not. 18 In my analysis of the media equation, the
issue at hand is not a change in technology. Rather, the primary importance of Reeves
and Nass's insight relates to social rather than technical engagement of networked me-
dia.
As a species, we are largely defined by sociality. We use language, we cooperate,
and we share information. All of these attributes are profoundly social ones. 19 Reeves
and Nass characterize our response to media stimulus as social. Personality is the key