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Avatars

What They Are and Why They Matter
By Rabindra Ratan
Series: Digital Media and Society
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Brief Description
Avatars are everywhere – from virtual environments and social media filters to AI companions and deepfakes. In Avatars, media psychologist Rabindra Ratan draws from two decades of pioneering research to explain how avatars shape the way we think, feel, and connect in an increasingly mediated world.... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3799
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Releases 16th January 2027 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Avatars" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Avatars are everywhere – from virtual environments and social media filters to AI companions and deepfakes.

In Avatars, media psychologist Rabindra Ratan draws from two decades of pioneering research to explain how avatars shape the way we think, feel, and connect in an increasingly mediated world. Through accessible theory and compelling examples, Ratan defines what avatars are across digital and physical forms, explores how people relate to them as extensions and partners of the self, and reveals how avatars influence human behaviour – often in ways we do not consciously recognise. Moving from the psychology of identification and customisation to the power of avatars for persuasion and influence, this book charts the past, present, and emerging future of human–avatar relationships.

Combining rigorous analysis with personal insight from a career at the forefront of avatar research, this book offers a clear and engaging framework for understanding how our virtual selves are transforming not just media, but what it means to be human. Avatars is essential reading for students and researchers in Media, Communication, STS, Game Studies, Applied Psychology, Sociology, Cultural Studies, and Human–Computer Interaction.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509571017

Publisher: Polity Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 13 November 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Polity Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 17.0mm

Width: 148.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 312g

Pages: 234

Collections

Education & Reference Non-Fiction Non-Fiction Pre-Orders Pre-order Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Rabindra Ratan Science & Nature Series: Digital Media and Society

About the Author

Rabindra Ratan is Professor and AT&T Endowed Chair at Michigan State University.

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