During a recent tour of the virtual world of DXC Technology, the first step was to create the avatar that would represent me in the metaverse. While I valiantly tried to produce an accurate reflection of myself in avatar form, I clearly neglected to pay attention to my footwear, so I arrived fully formed in a sandals and bow tie ensemble.

Research from the University of Alberta suggests that there tends to be a balancing act between trying to be yourself and trying to improve yourself when creating your avatar. Interestingly, however, this also seems to affect our behavior online.

“Some of our research says that people with more attractive online self-representations report more outgoing, loud, and risky behavior online,”…