America’s Next Top Models

123 Runway Blvd.

New York, NY 12242

December 18, 2009

Kevin Brooks
322 E Minard Hall
North Dakota State University

Dear Professor Brooks,

We propose a Personal Esteem And Calming Environment (PEACE) to the Virtual Peace Garden in
Second Life for individual entertainment and interaction that is educational. Our credentials are
attached along with an abstract of our proposal and the proposal in detail.

PEACE is intended for visitors to see themselves as they really are and to encourage positive self images.
We want this space to promote the notion that personality is more important than body image.

While using this space, visitors can see firsthand the reflection of their disproportionate bodies in the
wacky mirrors that we will provide in the first room of our structure. The problem with media influence
is that people let those perfect images overtake their natural perception of their own bodies. The media
distorts perception of body size by advertising flawless bodies with minimal fat content and airbrushed
skin. PEACE is meant as a learning tool to bring awareness of self-image to interactive users through the
use of the fun-house mirrors.

After gathering research about body image in the media, we feel that PEACE is an appropriate advance
for resolving the issue of low self-esteem. Our proposal includes the design of a three step healing
process. Avatars will confront an unrealistic portrayal of their body, spend time meditating on their
experience, and socialize with other avatars that have been through similar events. Visitors will have the
chance to reflect on their own internal battles as well as interact with others in a nondiscriminatory
space.

We believe our proposal for PEACE meets your request for the Virtual Peace Garden in SL. The reality of
this social issue is one that needs to be addressed on multiple levels—even in the virtual world. We
want to share our enthusiasm for PEACE and look forward to hearing from you as you proceed with this
project.

With best regards,

Brittney Frey and Kirsten Staloch

Brittney Frey and Kirsten Staloch
Partners
America’s Next Top Models
Credentials

Brittney Frey
“Body dissatisfaction is a serious issue, even in the virtual world. Our job is to

help others see themselves as beautiful as they truly are. No ifs, ands, or big

butts…”

 Third Year Architecture Student

 Fluent user in Second Life
 Currently enrolled in Women and Gender Studies course
 Researched information on Second Life and body image
 Aware of the negative effects of the media through television, magazines, and advertisements

Link to portfolio http://brittneyfrey.wordpress.com/

Kirsten Staloch
“You can’t believe everything you see or hear on TV. We need to let people

know that personality is more important than fitting in to America’s ‘out of

this world’ standards.”

 Third Year Architecture Student

 Avid use of Second Life as one of favorite pastimes
 Previously enrolled in Women Studies and Women, Men, Love and Family courses
 Researched information on Second Life and body image
 Aware of the negative effects of the media through television, magazines, and advertisements

Link to portfolio http://ks6602.wordpress.com/

Executive Summary

The problem of people’s perception of body image today is largely affected by the media and its
influence via television, magazines, and advertisements. We understand the difference between being
healthy and looking good and we feel it is important to help others see themselves in a different way.

Through extensive research, we found that the media is saturated with elite body types of men and
women. We also know the effect that these images have on entire populations. Second Life is a big
perpetrator of negative body images because users have the ability to change their avatars to anyone or
anything they desire.

The solution is to implement a Personal Esteem And Calming Environment (PEACE) into SL. This space
will focus on individual meditation and identity through the passage of time. Users will be by themselves
for the first two spaces where they can reflect internally on their experience. The following images show
the three spaces in sequential order:

The Mirror Room: The Meditation Room: The Gathering Room:

Avatars see their real Avatars can internally Avatars can socialize with
body under reflect and meditate on other avatars and will fill
disproportionate what they saw in the out a short survey about
circumstances Mirror Room their experience

This will help to bring awareness to the problem of low self-esteem that often carries over from the Real
World into Second Life. The addition of PEACE to the VPG will increase confidence among visitors and
promote healthy body image perceptions.

Our hope is that SL users will realize that material wealth and good looks are not a necessary part of
finding happiness. By interacting with others, without all the added appeal, users will look past the
surface and see others for who they are on the inside.
Proposing PEACE

The media plays a large role in distorting people’s perception of body image and size. These assumptions
are often carried over into Second Life. Avatars have the ability to alter their appearance in any way,
shape, or form. We propose a virtual space where users can learn about societal pressures on body
image through three unique spaces. The three spaces include a room of mirrors, a meditation space, and
a common gathering place. They will also have a chance to reflect on their personal choices. We hope to
raise awareness about media distortion and its link from the real world into SL. Avatars in the Virtual
Peace Garden can be educated through Personal Esteem And Calming Environment.

Social Issue

Body image is the perception people in society have of themselves and others. It includes many
components such as size, shape, weight, movement and performance. American’s are flooded by the
media’s view on elite body types for men and women. This means comparing the tall, dark and
handsome guy with the short, bald man. We are also referring to the pressures women feel to look like
the models they see in the media.

According to Shaw and Lee (2009) in their book Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions, psychologists have
defined the term lookism as the tendency to associate good looks and thinness with success. With this in
mind, the media conveys an unspoken desire to be thin, much like the models, actors and products that
are advertised (Figure 1). The following two images provide great examples of how the media distorts
reality. PEACE will educate
visitors about lookism by
comparing their real selves
to their SL avatars. Before
exiting PEACE, avatars will
take a short survey directly
related to this issue.

In The Media and Body

Image by Gunter &
Waykes, (2005), they draw
on a 1996 study that
revealed high school girls’
body image dissatisfaction
and drive for thinness was
relative to certain types of
television programming
viewed during the previous
week. This statistic re-
Figure 1: Models that have been airbrushed to perfection for advertisements
iterates the idea that the
media both directly and indirectly influences personal self-esteem and body image perception.
All genders are affected by advertisements. Women and negative media affects on body image are
prevalent, however, there have not been media-based male articles. In Heineckon’s (2002) book
Measuring Up, she states that advertisements are “structured and ‘hyperritualized’ images of gender.”
Genders are encouraged to take on different roles expressed through the media. This can be seen in SL,
with avatars sporting designer clothes, thin waists, and large breasts. PEACE is designed to steer avatars
away from this tendency and to live out their own personal styles.

Another study, done by Forrest and Stuhldrehet in 2007, talks about college students’ views on body
image. The results are shown in the graph below. The study was conducted in two phases, and the
students surveyed in
phase two are not
necessarily the same
students from phase
one. Phase two is more
recent, and shows the
dissatisfaction that
college students have of
their body. Males are
increasingly more likely
to subject to societal pressures compared to earlier studies. However, females still face more
dissatisfaction than the male population. We hope to increase satisfaction of all users, both male and
female, in PEACE.

The media is also responsible for this increase in dissatisfaction. Body images are constantly changing,
but women are more aware of the effects of the media and body ideals every day. The book Action
Chicks (Inness, 2004) includes essays about female-action-fighting-television-stars such as Buffy,
Charlie’s Angels and Tomb Raider. All of the shows include the female main characters as life saving,
death defying, controlling women. But take a look at the way each woman is dressed; they may get
rough and tumble but they always look good while doing it.

Body Image and Second Life

We took our research of body dissatisfaction in women and men and

applied it to Second Life. We started to link people’s disgust of body image
in real life with how it carries over into the virtual world. SL is used as a
medium to temporarily boost self-esteem. However, SL users need to face
life as it is and ground themselves in the reality of body image.

Flawless, domineering, and sexy

Second Life female avatars
 SL allows users fly around and visit with others under a false
pretense, completely separate from their real lives. With this
new life, people are given the option to create an avatar in
any way, shape, or form, regardless of their actual
appearance. They can alter every aspect of who they are
including: height, weight, skin tone, eye color, hairstyle, etc.

In the book My Avatar, Myself Tudor (2007) discovers that

Male SL user and his avatar…can you see the “Second Life users are in a gendered dialect where they
resemblance? create spectacular embodiments of themselves for the visual
pleasure of others.” To actually meet an avatar in SL that looks like their user is rare. Tudor also adds
that around fifty percent of avatars are gendered differently than their creators. The observation that
most avatars are white suggests that users are submitting to ideas that the media puts into play; you
have to be good-looking, thin, and white to be accepted.

In the book “I avatar: the culture and consequences of having a second life” by Meadows (2007), he talks
about negative experiences people have had because of SL. Meadows recalled a situation that
happened three years ago with three female avatars. Each created YouTube videos about their
character and submitted controversial comments to one another. In the end, the media revealed that
one of the women was actually a film company interested in YouTube. Viewers of the show were upset
because the one was not real but merely a made up character. Meadows concludes that, “In reality all
three were avatars, and all three were fictional”

In the previous account, SL was used as a false front. However, in reality all avatars are imaginary. We
cannot see the users behind the computer screen; we merely interact with pixels. In addition, the
media’s influence is apparent through the available options for body shape and size in SL. Our proposal
aims to develop PEACE as a tool for becoming more aware of the reality of life.

Proposal

The journey begins with the creation of a SL account. Each user will be required to submit a photograph
of him or herself as a necessary part of creating an account. The computer will take that image and
generate an avatar from the photograph. This avatar will become the base character for each SL
membership. Using the avatar as a guide, users will be able to transform body image and clothing style
to personal preference. This is the basis for our proposal, which we will refer to throughout.

After the initial creation of an account, users will be automatically transported to the Personal Esteem
And Calming Environment (PEACE) every time they log into SL. The PEACE is on the Virtual Peace Island
and users will exit into the public gathering space in the center of the island. We chose this place
because it sees many visitors and our focus is on people with positive interactions.

The PEACE is a realm where users are encouraged to live out their true selves while voluntarily accepting
or denying who they really are. In this space, avatars will be stripped of their chosen appearance and
required to wear gender-neutral clothing. By doing so, the importance of appearance fades while the
significance of personality becomes apparent.
The PEACE will be comprised of three parts. When the avatar first enters, he or she
will be guided through a sequence of mirrors that will distort and twist their body
into unrealistic proportions. The mirrors will portray body size differently during
each experience. For example, one day, the user might see themselves as very tall,
thin, and lanky. The next day, they might see themselves as short, fat, and stumpy.
By viewing themselves from all different perspectives, users will slowly realize that
any quality that they wish they had is not always the desired look.

After viewing their body disproportionately, avatars will enter

a space of meditation. Through the use of dim lighting, neutral
colors, and a comfortable seating area, avatars will be The Mirror Room:
encouraged to relax and reflect on what they see. They will Avatars see their
real body under
write a few short notes about their feelings each time. It will
disproportionate
also be a space for personal healing if needed. circumstances

The last part of the process will guide avatars to a common

greeting space, where they can interact with other avatars in The Meditation
a comfortable, non-judgmental setting. There will also be Room:
images from the media displayed all over the walls in this Avatars can internally
reflect and meditate
space. The images along with the interaction between the on what they saw in
avatars is meant to encourage group discussion about the the Mirror Room
media’s influence on body satisfaction. Avatars will be asked
to take a brief survey about what they see and feel:

The Gathering
Room:
Avatars can socialize
with other avatars
and will fill out a
short survey about
their experience

Avatars will be given the option to leave the PEACE after seven minutes; however, they are not required
to leave. As soon as an avatar exits the limits of the PEACE they will appear with their chosen style in the
center of the Virtual Peace Island. An avatar’s appearance is alterable at anytime. Each time a SL user
changes their appearance, whether it simply be the length of their hair or the style of their shirt, they
will be strongly encouraged to take a brief survey.
There will be two types of surveys, one regarding changes to the body type and the other regarding
changes to clothing style. The survey is to bring attention to the reality of their actions. Each time an
avatar takes a survey, it will be stored in the Records Room (located underneath PEACE). Avatars will
have the luxury of retrieving their personal data at any time for reflection. Below is a sample survey that
a user would have to take after making changes to their body type.

1. What was the reason for changing your body size?

2. Is your new body image closer or farther in accuracy to your actual body image?
3. What advantages does this new body image give you?
4. When was the last time you made changes to your body type?

Feasibility

We understand that various external factors may limit the potential of our space. Hypothetically, visitors
will automatically be transported to PEACE immediately after logging into SL. By doing so, we solve the
issue of getting avatars to visit our space. Even though users are required to visit, this space is intended
for personal gain and the impact and success of the space rests fully in the hands of the visitor.

We also understand the technicality of stripping individual avatars of material wealth while in PEACE
and then converting them back as they leave. Again, we stress the idea behind this transformation and
not so much the process itself. Our proposal aims to bring awareness to the issue of media distortion of
body image. Although it may not be physically viable in all aspects, we hope that the message will come
across loud and clear.

Ultimate Results

Our hope is that SL users will begin to realize that satisfactory appearance does not always equate to
personal happiness. We want to show users that happiness goes much deeper than what you see on the
surface. By requiring users to see themselves as they truly are and engaging it in a positive atmosphere,
we hope that they can carry that self-esteem into the real world. Not having to worry about personal
looks will allow more time for users to work on how to be a better person.

The PEACE is right for the Virtual Peace Garden because it focuses on personal healing and a positive
self-image. Often times, users look to SL as an escape from the real life they live, so that they can live
out a fantasy of fitting in. In the PEACE, visitors are encouraged to interact with others in a virtual setting
with real intentions—seeing beyond the body type itself and looking at the inside.

We feel that the PEACE will bring positive emotions and attitudes to majority of SL users. In relation to
media saturation, we feel that the PEACE should be a place where users can gain positive feedback and
engage in mentally stimulating interactions without the negative connotations of the media.