A year later when they eventually came our as Non-Binary at age 10 we all realized that their self-discovery was made possible in part by the fact that they were able to experiment with their identity in a safe way with Avatars. They have grown to become a very expressive, confident and compassionate human being. I posit they are all these things because they were given a safe place to discover themselves. This is why I believe Avatars are important. This is why I believe keeping Avatars safe, equitable, inclusive, and in the control of the individual user is important. Setting these guidelines now while the technology is in its infancy is important as it sets the stage for when Avatars are more ubiquitous, prevalent, and higher fidelity.

The good we do for avatars and the metaverse makes ethical sense, it makes business sense… but more importantly, it makes real-world sense. I believe that the good we do here for digital embodiment goes beyond pixels moving on screens. Allowing people to feel safe, confident, and in control in the metaverse also allows them to feel safe, confident, and in control in the real world.