The Digital Identity Revolution | John Luxford | TEDxWpg

Virtual Reality and Identity clash when you identify more with your avatar than with your actual self. John Luxford is a self-taught software developer, musician, and entrepreneur who is passionate about technology as a means of social change. After moving to Winnipeg from Ontario in 1999, he worked in the Winnipeg Free Press’ web department, where he wrote an online auction app that ran on every major newspaper in Canada before being bought out. Unfortunately the buyout happened when John was on vacation, and he came back to find himself out of a job. Instead of finding another 9-5, John started Simian Systems, an open source software company that he ran from 2001-2011, working with clients such as Princeton and Disney. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@alecfowler2261]

This guy seems so thrilled even though everything he says is worrying.

[@netac7667]

I mean.. Do I really want to grow up and have kids in this FREAKING CRAZY WORLD?!?

[@onewomanslife]

As a mother and as an educated woman, I am not sure that what you are describing should be a limiting problem. It must be a little bit joyful to be what you imagine yourself to be without the restraints created by the judgement like 'a book by its cover'. I wonder if this might not be another leap in human interaction. Haven't we all wanted the opportunity to be seen as we want to be or as we are 'inside"? It takes a determined perspective to look past all the 'shoulds' that have been inculcated to see the real person.- Maybe Avatars simply enable that process by sidestepping the 'water' we live within but never see. The issue that I can see is when you wish to leave VR and join your VR buddies in this space and time. IF they STILL have the "judge by the cover" mentality- that can lead to heartbreak when people who have valued you for who you are retreat because of an appearance they did not expect. Another issue is if you yourself "judge your own book by its cover" and that is the saddest of all especially if you allow that perspective to make you selfish and self absorbed. Self acceptance matters and makes life more joyful- not less- but accepting who you are on the inside and giving a chance for that 'race horse' to run its race rather than be hobbled by the starting gate might just give a humanity a jet propelled burst of hope and progress. BRAVO, John! The people of the world will thank you for SEEING THEM and allowing them to experience themselves.

[@johnluxford7837]

Thanks! You're totally right about the judgements that can happen in transitioning from one to the other (avatar vs physical appearance), and there will certainly be lots of issues we haven't even realized yet, but hopefully we can steer this tech to helping people accept themselves and each other, and give us one more tool we can use in expressing ourselves. I'm also hopeful that AR glasses get us looking up again instead of down at our phones, so people can learn some communication basics like making eye contact again :)

[@onewomanslife]

PS- when my kids started having issues about their appearance (and who never experiences that)- I went and got several magazines and flipped through them with my children. At each model I would ask, is he or she beautiful? After seeing many different kinds of people all defined as beautiful by someone- they came to realize that beautiful has MANY definitions and shapes and sizes.

[@onewomanslife]

Anya- absolutely. Thank you. My point was more that beauty has a whole lot more to do with how you see than what you see.

[@AM-fh7ek]

Debra Smith yeah i see i might have missed your point a bit at first, i agree..

[@kayrosis5523]

I spent 7 years in second life... I don't know that I'd call it a good thing for the whole world to become more like it. Visually interesting? Sure, sometimes. But more often than not, it will probably be everyone looking like duck faced Barbies and no-way-am-I-straight Kens. Furries will be happy though

[@yazansakran3326]

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

[@Maria-B21]

It's gonna be like the movie " Ready Player One ".

[@LickaTruth]

Hopefully, at least that way you can earn who you want to be just like irl.

[@redpalex]

Dude, you're ALSO your body. Accept that and take good care of it.

[@johnluxford7837]

I agree 100%. This is just another costume or outfit we can put on, but one that's going to become pervasive like it or not so my point is just about using it for its positives. I'm pretty happy in my own skin, but I also kinda see myself more cartoony than mirrors can render very well :)

[@yazansakran3326]

You're right. All about balance. Feed the mind, feed the soul, but don't neglect the body.

[@aryandivyanshu8324]

One of the most unique tedx.

[@johnluxford7837]

Thank you!

[@aryandivyanshu8324]

John Luxford Most welcome sir !

[@unleashingpotential-psycho9433]

In 30 years the world will be like the matrix where people don’t work, robots do our work, and our entire selves will be online.

[@redpalex]

I don't want to see any of this.

[@LickaTruth]

Real Boss I'd recommend looking up Ray Kurzweil and his work on exponential technology. It may persuade your doubts.

[@ruoyllort282]

I would love to be digital, completely digital.

[@turntablez504]

.......... probably not.

[@N00BB123]

Hello again

[@ReidGarwin]

We arent allowed to show our identities they way we would like to physically. Physically real Businesses still reject having employees based on how they look. We are coming to a point where virtual reality and physical reality are integrating, its time to accept change and just let people be who they are from inside, out because it honestly doesnt matter. Censorship is bull

[@roxycastillo5990]

I think this is more of the same... Everyone make his life what he wants to, or have to. There are people that take the path of a healthy life, people on alcoholic situation, with drug problems, of just eating whatever they want... There are also people who doesn't care about cell phones, or technology, or fashion things... This is dangerous, because some people are going to live for their avatars, through them, forgetting about their self and staying in that "digital word"... but is o.k. Because is what people choice, and when someone choose to jump from a building to end with his life, you can't blame the higher of the building about the reason of the death. This technology is going to be amazing, but also have a very dark side.

[@sid-osophy9365]

Oh how sad. Everything other then the actual vr technology you spoke of was a coming together of all the socialolgical and psychological issues as you described them into one neat package. The ability to cyberize a avatar of a preferred self or exist in a completely pixelated presence widens the issue of identity (not identity issues) as being the source of most of humanities hang ups. True self is at risk of becoming orphaned by itself in favour of all it will never be What a tragedy you propose for consciousness . And existence

[@kitty2karenlongjacket406]

Yes. This is horrifying....

[@nasirhill]

"ever since I could remember, I've always thought of myself as a cartoon character" I blame the parents.

[@themaskedartist7972]

They said I could be anything I want. I can finally be a magical bubble blowing rainbow dragon! :D

[@shariflam3012]

Self love? What happened to that? The journey. The reconnection?

[@francoislatreille6068]

as long as capitalist corporations own the digital, I don't want to get into their matrix. Digital technology is definitely an interesting tool for connecting, but can only supplement the "base" reality. It is also utopic the idea that there will be no barriers to entering this virtual paradise. Will these devices contain rare-earth elements?

[@alphastrength3402]

This could be awkward sometimes, it happened to me

[@twistinfortune3421]

My question is when does our online selves become us

[@AM-fh7ek]

Twist in fortune never

[@jamesblackburn4386]

One of the few good TED talks

[@-zephyressence-2018]

I beg to differ. It's one of many great TED talks.

[@johnluxford7837]

Thank you! But I do have to agree with Shooting Starlight, since I'm a fan of quite a few talks myself :)

[@johnluxford7837]

@@-zephyressence-2018 Thanks, and totally agree!

[@-zephyressence-2018]

@@johnluxford7837 I am as well! There are a few that I think are better in my own opinion. Perhaps the OP just hasn't listened to very many TED talks yet.

[@tapan97]

Wasn't expecting such a strong negative reaction in the comments. I'll admit I was feeling uncomfortable watching the talk, but I wonder how much of that gut reaction is just the fallacy of assuming that "closer to nature"=good and how much it does convey a genuine worry about the far-reaching alterations to our social existence. After all, it's not like the world we already live in- with the concrete jungle, paved roads, mechanical vehicles and internet connectivity- is any closer to the "natural way" of our ancestors. I could definitely be wrong but this talk certainly is interesting and offers a new perspective.

[@zeromailss]

Nice VR chat video btw Is he the new Virtual Husbando KZbinr? Would be more interesting if there's more people but then there would always be an uganda knuckle sigh

[@tarponjohn]

Damn good talk...took a while to get going but once started the passion kept me tuned in to the end ....agree these are interesting times...

[@frankieriverss]

Wouldn't it be better if we change the way society judge people? I know it's difficult, but I think it is the real solution. That way anybody could express themselves as they truly are in real life. The thing with artificial reality is that it isn't fixing the problem.

[@wafeeqahqazi]

Unusual!

[@azhar3]

Amazing yaar

[@royalwolf27]

Interesting could see a lot of health and safety issues in a world like that, not to mention the various new moral conundrums that would arise.

[@johnluxford7837]

Totally agree. As someone who grew up playing outside and didn't have the internet until I was 16, it feels like each generation of tech introduces challenges socially, morally, health-wise, etc. The generation that adopts it first become guinea pigs, which isn't great. That's partly why I argue for deliberate and careful use of technology, because it impacts society without permission, but it's how we end up using it over time that determines whether it's a good or bad thing.

[@b3xi.i.602]

Where does it stop?

[@ScizGraffiti]

im not enthused

[@RogueBeatsARG]

Is this a TEDX about VRChat, In VRChat?

[@johnluxford7837]

It's actually in an app called Flipside, kinda similar. Free on Oculus and SteamVR (shameless plug :)

[@woodsofthewoods]

Excellent!

[@georgeporteous8201]

I'm I the only one that when playing video games with adaptable characters goes out of their way to make it look just like me?

[@johnluxford7837]

That's usually my first move too.

[@chrisogonas]

Waooo, amazing perspective!

[@johnluxford7837]

Thanks!

[@techtok1603]

Nice video

[@rickster008]

ready player one used a lot from Anime, Sword Artonline and the digital avatar world of Summer wars

[@mattkilburn3291]

Anybody remember muds, mushs, and moos ? Where the only description is text-based role playing shared servers.

[@resonantconsciousness9248]

My avatar is a Ferret (with a Buttplug tail) ;->

[@snowballeffect7812]

Second Life, Second Chances. I THINK DOGS SHOULD VOTE!

[@realser9]

Salut! 💖🙌

[@ChessMasteryOfficial]

Robots are taking over the planet.

[@NazwaBricksZajeta]

I expected interesting lecture about VR technology, instead I received leftist speech about 'how easy is to stop trying to accept yourself' and just buy the damn vr gogles to lie to yourself about how cool and unique you are without any effort. how progressive. how empowering. how marxist of you, John.

[@AM-fh7ek]

Spoderman4 my thoughts exactly...

[@PopeMindless]

Agreed, this constant shift of perspective away from what is real and valuable tends to feed the nihilistic and suicidal pathology that so much of modern life already fosters.

[@yazansakran3326]

This is dope

[@tessaN64]

Yo guy who did this, I know youre here to read some comments. Reply if you see this one

[@johnluxford7837]

What's up?

[@chappiescollectables]

I thought it was shaggy

[@chickenpotpie79]

Any other VRChat users down here

[@jacklonghearse9821]

Nice 2002 graphics bro.

[@johnluxford7837]

Thanks! VR rendering is about 7x more intensive than a AAA video game, so we're kind of in the GameCube or maybe PS2 era of VR graphics right now.

[@bernakasmoglu3523]

Wov

[@user-sb5fm1gk7l]

Technoilogies has reached their limit.

[@evillano]

This is plain pathologycal. This man needs therapy, not virtual reality.

[@CiscoTheFish]

Why do you say that?

[@najmaabdalle5895]

I'm early

[@samueljaimes490]

soy el décimo comentario :0, saludos desde Colombia B:y

[@felipevasquez4866]

meh