Williamson 1 Andrew Williamson Mrs. Thompson English 102 A 20 March 2022 VR Chat: Virtual Culture The world within worlds, or the virtual one. Is a place where you can be whatever and interact with people however you like. This virtual space is more or less its own subculture. People in this area perform interactions differently than outside in the public space. People when faced with possible jugement can change drastically from their true character. This fact is especially evident in the virtual world as it is apparent in most conversations. I had the pleasure of meeting some of these people and finding out the kind of world they associate with. As these interactions would be hard to describe in a short length of time, I will provide some reference notes to get a better picture of the world. Here is a brief summary of my time spent in the virtual world. Time Events 4:18 I enter the game, it places me into the usual room Analysis / Thoughts This room is comprised of a small lounge and a portal room to take me to different worlds I open my menu and select the Black Cat. This was a virtual lounge that was very popular. 4:25 I watched as people pretended to be bartenders serving drinks at the bar to people. This was a mostly cheerful conversation as both parties involved played their own role. One player asked the bartender for milk. The person acting as a bartender handed them a drink and was like, “Sorry we’re out of milk, how bout some water.” 4:32 People walked and crawled past me. A person dressed as a frog walked past the bar and asked for water. Another pretending to be the bartender jumped from behind the I thought this was a funny interaction based on the previous one with the guy asking for milk. Williamson 2 counter. This one looked like the grim reaper. He handed him milk and claimed they were out of water. 4:37 People in this room acted as if they were full grown drunks. People watching was a common thing for some people to do in VR. It was highly entertaining to watch things unfold and dramas happen. 4:40 The room started to get more restless. I watched as a character appearing to be a robot sat down at the table in front of me. He seemed to be doing the same thing I was, simply watching. 4:41 This was the guy I later decided to interview as he was doing a similar thing as I. 4:44 I became more interested with the robot and approached him. “Can I sit by you?” I asked In normal circumstances, being a normal lounge, I would not have approached him, since it was virtual there was no harm in asking. He replied with a friendly “sure” I proceeded to get to know him a little. 4:50 I wrapped up the interview with the man and returned to my seat after an exchange of goodbyes. I proceeded to watch people. What appeared to be a dance party started and ended within the minute across the room. 4:55 I proceeded to head up the stairs as this was the way to a different section of the place. 5:03 People started to make a ruckus and started throwing virtual drinks at each other. This was a perk of the virtual world, you could get away with things that would not fly in today's society. I thought this was amusing and laughed. 5:07 I watched a while longer at the people doing the most crazy things. The robot I met earlier came up the stairs to have a look around and then left to the bottom floor again. 5:09 I enjoyed the shows that people put on. Some started to sing, others danced. All were having fun. 5:15 I decided to go somewhere else 5:35 I looked around and chose a place to sit and watch. 5:48 I took a moment to look at my surroundings, it was a room with a fire I thought it to be really peaceful. Williamson 3 pit in the center and what appeared to be a camp around it. I sat at the fire watching it and everyone around me. 6:00 I sat there staring at the virtual flames of the fire listening to the chatter around me. 6:12 I noticed a particular person extremely into the whole idea of the room. This was the person I would later interview. This person was the most engaged out of everyone in there. 6:18 I proceeded to interview them. 6:27 I finished the interview a little later than expected but got thoughtful answers. 6:34 I proceeded to listen. People were yelling while others were peacefully chatting with one another. 6:40 It started to get calmer the later time went on. The space was mostly dominated by the youth population. This could have been attributed to the lateness and most people being kids had to get off. 7:12 I proceeded to enjoy myself and make new acquaintances while trying out the outfits. 7:17 People were chatting with each other and showing off their outfits. Some even attempted to act as the characters. 7:26 The last room I decided to go into was a sledding game world. This world was mostly for having a good time. 7:32 I chose the room and proceeded to log into it after selecting a character I wanted to appear as. 7:46 I saw someone who looked pretty experienced and having the most fun. 7:52 This guy I decided to interview after a little persuasion he let me. 7:58 During the interview we could hear the commotion of people having fun in the “snow.” I enjoyed the experiences of others I got to watch. 8:06 The Interview ended and we respectfully parted ways. The interactions people were having with each other were of pure bliss. He was dressed as a skier which I thought was fitting. Williamson 4 The platform allows the extensive use of customization for people to engage however they like in the virtual world. The characters that you can play as are seemingly endless. The customization is also incredible allowing you to be whoever you want. To add the immersion the sounds, “inside VRChat are recreated as you would expect in the real world, complete with echoes and resonance to help you gauge spatial distance. This further enhances the platform’s group interaction capabilities,”(Roy 1). This allows for the interaction with people to be great and highly immersive as if you are really there. Anwesha Roy, a reviewer for the platform says that “A massive benefit of the VRChat platform is that it is completely free for use,”(Roy 1). This allows for people to immerse themselves without having to pay money, they can just show up. This adds to the immersive experience of the game. Ian Nordin a student from the University of Texas says, “It’s a virtual forum dictated by memes, nerd-culture, and an underlying sense of shared social awkwardness, but for many of its users, it’s an invaluable place for self-help and free speech,”(Nordin 1). This is a great summary of the platform as it shows its true essence. People in the VR space commonly have social anxiety except in a world where you aren’t talking face to face with “real” people. The essence of free speech is evident as there are no filters for saying anything, obviously unless it is highly disrespectful. This allows for the freedom of expression in the virtual space. The virtual space, as was observed, allowed people to act like they wanted in the outside world without judgment. This was most commonly observed in the Black Cat, a virtual lounge. This was one of the most visited places as well. These observations further develop the idea that human nature can be influenced by surrounding people or environments. It allows people to sort of relax in the social setting. Williamson 5 The people interviewed further develop this idea with their own views on the topic. By interviewing them it allowed for a window of opportunity to see similar stories. These interviews can be summarized as follows: Interview #1 Location: Black Cat, Virtual Lounge The reason I selected this person was because they seemed to be the calmest, I saw them sitting at a table alone watching people interact. How did you stumble upon this chatroom? “This room was referred to me by a friend and we’ve spent most of our time here. This community is wonderful to interact with.” What were your first impressions? “At first I was reluctant to join my friend, but the community began to grow on me.” What kept you engaged and willing to stay? “The interactions with new people really allowed me to escape my own reality and meet new people in this virtual one.” How was your first interaction with a person in the virtual world? “My first interaction was with one of my friend’s friends and we chatted awhile in here.” How do you communicate with people on average? “I normally don’t speak with people and often observe.” When do you usually enter this chat room to hang out? “I normally hang out here when I am off work, mainly on the weekends and Fridays.” How would you describe the kinds of interactions in this place? “I would describe the interactions to be a bit strange as you meet so many different people.” How would you describe the people you interact with? “The people around here are interesting, to say the least. They are all from similar backgrounds and come here to be free.” What does the virtual world mean to you? “The virtual world to me is a vessel of transport out of my anxiety.” Williamson 6 Why do you like it in a world that does not exist? “I like it because it relieves the stress of messing up in a virtual world without major consequences.” Interview #2 Location: Virtual Chat Room For Cosplayers From Games The reason I selected this person for an interview was because I personally had a chat with them before I considered it and they seemed to be the perfect person to interview. How did you stumble upon this chatroom? “I was looking for a place to express myself and my likings.” What were your first impressions? “I originally thought of this place as a bit strange but wholesomely welcoming.” What kept you engaged and willing to stay? “The thing that kept me here was the positive environment and the lack of judgment from others.” How was your first interaction with a person in the virtual world? “My first interaction was with a cosplayer of a person from one of my favorite shows, they helped me find my place here and we really got along.” How do you communicate with people on average? “I communicate with people using my charm to get to know them and really connect with them.” When do you usually enter this chat room to hang out? “I often come here during the weekends or when I don't have work.” How would you describe the kinds of interactions in this place? “The kinds of interactions are usually kind with the occasional troublemaker.” How would you describe the people you interact with? “The people I interact with are usually cosplayers of similar interests and of characters I haven't heard before.” What does the virtual world mean to you? Williamson 7 “It allows me to express myself in a world with almost no cap on creativity and interactions.” Why do you like it in a world that does not exist? “It has freedoms that the real world does not, such as embarrassment in a public setting.” Interview #3 Location: Virtual Recreation Area (Sledding) The reason I selected this person was because they seemed to have the most connections and the most enjoyment out of being there, they also seemed to be experienced. How did you stumble upon this chatroom? “My friend wanted me to go sledding with him in VR, how could I refuse?” What were your first impressions? “My first impressions were of awe and joy, being able to have fun from a season without it being that season.” What kept you engaged and willing to stay? “The sheer amount of joy and fun I had from meeting new people.” How was your first interaction with a person in the virtual world? “My first interaction was with a girl who also loved virtual sledding, we later became friends.” How do you communicate with people on average? “I communicate with people often by simply chatting with them while having fun at the same time.” When do you usually enter this chat room to hang out? “I usually get on after I'm off of school on days where I have little homework.” How would you describe the kinds of interactions in this place? “I would describe the interactions as being full of crazy people with the occasional sensible one.” How would you describe the people you interact with? “The people are relatively nice and the environment is strange but enjoyable.” What does the virtual world mean to you? Williamson 8 “The virtual world is like a sort of getaway for me, I can go anywhere even if it is nowhere.” Why do you like it in a world that does not exist? “I like the idea of being able to see worlds no one could really visit.” The people in these rooms have language used similar to that of modern generations. These are words of slang or different forms of greetings. Common phrases or words that can be heard are you, wassup, bussin’, cap, and other types of common slang. This is common in places that are incorporating large amounts of youth. This is while the older people are more casual and formal. People commonly talk to one another as if they are lifelong friends, even if they just met. This can be attributed to the lack of embarrassment a person feels in a virtual world. Many people alse in this subgroup have similar possessions to one another. This includes avatars or virtual bodies to occupy. These for the most part are commonly available for most. The equipment to enter this world also varies yet remains similar to one another. The equipment can range from a headset and controllers, to full body teaching and a full range of movement. The headsets people use are relatively similar to one another, these are oval-shaped boxes that go over your eyes and are strapped to your head. The technology relies on the tracking of the elements of the user, such as the headset, and controllers to place them in a virtual space. However, there is not really a common tradition in VR chat. This is because of the fact that there are seemingly unlimited places to go in the system. Although there is one place where some users hang out. This is a place called the Black Cat, it has a false bar and restaurant along with stages for performances and private rooms. This place houses users of a particular system as it is exclusively available on their console. Traditions coils involve the way interactions happen Williamson 9 such as random yelling at each other and the fact that you can act however you want. There are even some people who role-play in this virtual space. Some shared attitudes are those of craziness and the lack of filters. This is because you can say whatever, this is okay because you can simply mute whoever you wish. The craziness towards new people is to be expected everywhere. This comes in partnership with the occasional respectful person. The people of this subgroup have the shared idea of having no consequences for their actions. Some people like the places they go to for various reasons, such as recreational activities and simply talking. Overall the ideas share similarities with the people of the group. Many people also feel as though they belong because of many reasons. One reason can be the lack of judgment. Another could be the lack of responsibility or of anxiety. This allows people to feel as though they belong because no one is telling them that they don’t. The benefits of joining this group are many names, meeting new people, having conversations with people you could never see, or simply doing whatever. People of this day and age like to feel belonging in any place they are welcome. This group is extremely diverse yet entirely inclusive. The very essence of the virtual world allows for the free expression of oneself. This no doubt is due to the fact that there is a lack of judgment in the worlds and places to visit. Another factor to this could be attributed to the fact that the user can appear however they like. This allows for people to express their forms without jugement unlike social media or other platforms. Many people in this virtual world were observed to be enjoying these factors and viving to their fullest in this virtual world. Williamson 10 Works Cited: Ian. N. (2020, April 10). VRChat Is the Perfect Game for the Socially Awkward. Study Breaks. https://studybreaks.com/tvfilm/vrchat/. Poetker, B. (2019, October 17). What Is VRChat? (+Why the VR Social Platform Is So Popular). G2. https://www.g2.com/articles/vrchat. Roy, A. (2021, July 21). VRChat Review: A Powerful, Well-Supported VR Hangout App - XR Today. XR Today. https://www.xrtoday.com/reviews/vrchat-review-a-powerful-wellsupported-vr-hangoutapp/#:~:text=VRChat%20includes%20a%20lot%20of,and%20chat%20with%20each%20other.
