In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook’s parent company, the owner of other platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, will now be called Meta, creating a “Metaverse” ad integrating new functions to take social media to the next level.
On their behalf, Instagram has launched a new function that allows you to create 3D customizable characters. These can reflect the physical features of each person or how you want to be perceived online. You can customize clothing, hairstyles, facial lines, and more. Likewise, avatars can also have their own “digital goods” stored in backpacks and purses.
Unlike other avatar apps, Instagram omitted the option to define gender.
As for now, Instagram avatars can only be used in stories and DM’s and are only available for users located in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, the future of avatars has a lot more, and in the following months, they will be available in the rest of the world.
How can I create my avatar?
If you already have this feature, you can visit your Instagram profile and click on the menu to access configuration. Then click on “account” and select “avatars.”
Once you’ve found the feature, select “start” and give life to your avatar with the wide variety of options it offers.
Once created, you can save your avatar and start using it in your stories. You can also change your profile picture.
What do Instagram avatars mean for the future of the Metaverse?
Avatars are the first phase to make the Metaverse a reality, where you can build a future in which you can sit in the same room with your family, who in real life are a thousand kilometers away, or work with a team who is all over the world. This will be the virtual identity you will use to appear in the Metaverse.
In the future, the Internet will evolve into an immersive experience. If we are going to be in virtual worlds, we must find a way to show ourselves with a virtual representation of who we are. In other words, the Internet and the way we use it will change, and Instagram avatars are only the first step.
What about you? Have you created your avatar yet?
