When Avatar Meets Streaming
Reconstruction of Self-Presentation in Posthumanism
ABSTRACT: Since late 2016, the public launch of virtual influencers foreshadows sensation soon after its release, receiving critical acclaim worldwide. Not long ago, one of the remarkable Virtual Youtubers (VTuber), Kizuna AI, was selected as one of Asia’s top 60 influencers. This highlights the potentiality of this field with the advancements of skyrocketing technology. Influenced by the great market share of ACGN (anime, comic, game, novel) culture, VTubers’ behaviors are more acceptable than real-person YouTubers. Many audiences are motivated to engage with VTubers as they would like to interact with their favorite anime characters. In consequence, VTubers can provide relaxation and entertainment for viewers. Recent years have witnessed significant growth in VTuber creators and viewers around the globe. The phenomenon has already drawn research attention to viewers’ engagement and perceptions. However, till now, little has been studied on how creators and viewers phenomenologically present themselves differently in this virtual social space. As a VTubing researcher who actively investigates in VTubers, I am motivated to explain the phenomena with posthumanism and transhumanism. This paper elucidates how creators reconstruct their self-presentation and human-avatar relations under the mask of virtual avatars.