Second Life, Second Choice? The effects of virtual identity on consumer behavior. A conceptual framework.

Abstract

Virtual social worlds, such as Second Life, by gaining more and more popularity, have attracted the attention of the business media. The aim of the present article is to explore the relationship be- tween the Second Life avatar (using the term of virtual identity) and shopping habits in Second Life focusing on consumer behaviour. Firstly, we present how virtual social worlds function and how they differ from other social media. Secondly, we will illustrate how online identity construction affects one’s behavior in such environments from a business perspective. To study Second Life we used the term virtual identity which was compared to the actual person’s actual self-representation. According to the literature, people tend to construct their virtual identity in a different way from the real one. Therefore, it is extremely important to study both the aspects of the everyday life and the presentation of the virtual self. We also wish to highlight the points companies should pay par- ticular attention to in their virtual social world activities from the perspective of the psychological mechanisms that conduct people’s online behaviour and thinking. Finally, we demonstrate our hy- pothetical model of Second Life identity construction along with its effects on consumption and its implications for the future.