We live in a world where we are defined by our appearance.  If we are male or female, something about our character is instantly judged.  In the same way, we are judged by our race, height, weight, hair color, clothing, and undoubtedly much more.  We long to be free of these prejudices.  But how? Do we turn to a virtual world, perhaps Second Life? In Second Life, individuals, avatars that is, have the ability to change their appearance as they please.  An individual can instantly shed their “first” identity and appearance with a simply alteration of their avatar.  We can instantly look better.  But what is better? Who decides what is the ideal beauty? Why is it that we give in to this perception and criteria? Somehow, we cannot escape it, and it flows over into Virtual worlds and identity as well. 

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The theory of the “docile body” helps to explain this.  It is like the conditioning of individuals to be, act, and long to be a certain way.  This theory is discussed by Brookey and Cannon in the article, “Sex Lives in Second Life.”  Though individuals have the opportunity and empowerment to escape these gender norms and expectations, individuals often are still influenced on their Virtual worlds.  As these scholars put it, “Docility helps explain why individuals empowered with the agency to produce their own sexual world might choose to perpetuate the established norms of gender and sexuality.”  Has the influence of these norms really gone so far as to have such an influence with no return?