The coming of the Avatars

Facebook users have a new craze and it spreads like wildfire as it cuts across individuals from all age groups and persuasions. Among others, from as young as students to journalists, academics, television figures, and celebrities. I too have the urge to join the bandwagon because I've been told it's so simple and fast. It will only take creativity and a sense of identity.

After a few steps it would look at one's physical characteristics in some way. We can change elements to customize our character such as skin tone, hairstyle, face shape, eye shape, eyebrows, eyewear, nose, mouth, facial hair, and body shape. And what's more amazing about it is that it allows one to choose the outfit and accessories to which they have been known or associated.

We put together all the pieces as best we can and we end up with some sort of approximation of how we look, based on what we can change. And so the whole process leads to the user's overall appearance and shares it as a profile.

In fact, the whole process is an on-the-spot look of one's appearance and if the result is a close association of one's appearance, one gets such a feeling of great satisfaction. And this is reinforced when friends affirm that the look of an avatar is truly an owner's representation. Such a process probably allows one to reconsider one's look and to be true to who he is.

Even though the avatar application from Facebook is really just an approximation of oneself, it still offers a different touch, a variety of what we do on Facebook. I know this is a fad; the limelight is going to fade away. And how easy a thing or an action is, we can learn something from it, consciously or otherwise. Either it reminds the viewer of an aspect of life or it offers a new insight. It is up to us to take it or simply ignore its message.

However, the word avatar has numerous social, historical, and religious references. James Cameron creates a world in his blockbuster film “Avatar”, in which humans take the form of avatars to live on a planet called Pandora. Via technology, the humans control these avatars. But some use their strong avatar bodies for evil as they attempt to exploit the planet's resources.

In entertainment, those who play virtual reality games, where avatars are movable images representing real people, may already be familiar with the word "avatar."

However, the origins of the word derive in sacred Hindu scriptures from the Sanskrit language and it is a word for divine beings sent to restore goodness to Earth. Hinduism, the world's third-largest religion with approximately 1 billion adherents, originated on the Indian subcontinent several centuries ago where a majority of the world's Hindus reside.

We need to be reminded of who we are, even including the pains and blessings that make us whole. And sometimes claims, validations, and rejections will reinforce our convictions and principles that act as an anchor in pursuing our goals.

Hopefully and truly, the reemergence of the avatars will restore goodness to Earth, and at least healing in the time of pandemic.