VR Connections
Exploring real communities in an (un)real world
Contents
Introduction
Overview of “Social VR”
Data & discourse analysis
Highlighting different communities & connections found on Social VR
Summary
Reviewing implications for brands
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2000+ Tiktok Posts
30+ Search keywords
50+ Tiktok Hashtags
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Social VR: real connections in a not-so-real world
VR allows you to step into another world by yourself – and perhaps more significantly, with others. Accelerated by COVID, “Social VR” is all about immersive virtual meeting spaces & multiplayer worlds.
Using Quilt.AI tools, we explore the world of strangers socializing on VR. An initial analysis of 2,000+ Tiktoks revealed top image emotions: fear, affiliation & creativity.
We analyze the lively – and sometimes lonely – world of VR to better understand these emotions and how human desire for connection is unfolding in virtual spaces.
Overview
What did we study?
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Happiness
Sensuality
Solitude
VR attracts those who want to socialize at their own pace, as well as increases accessibility for those with impaired mobility or hearing (#vrASL boasts a lively sign language community)
Fear was a highly detected emotion, aligning with the many posts associated with “social anxiety” (31%). For introverts, VR helps them control the duration (and form) in which they socialize.
While social VR serves as a safe space for those who fear real in-person socialization, for others, that same social anxiety is merely replicated on VR (ie: nerves before entering a VR party). The translation of in-person to virtual social anxiety shows how “real” social VR can feel. Perhaps those exact moments of “realness” are what makes VR not just a relatable, but powerful, fantasy.
Top Image Emotions
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A safe haven for shy introverts
VR has become a way for to have a “social life” and meet new friends, especially for those struggling with social anxiety or mental health. For the easily overwhelmed, VR is a place they can feel more at ease, even if they’re not (literally) in their own skin.
Exploring Fear
Top Image Emotions
Affiliation
Creativity
Fear
Desire for belonging�33%
Experiences social anxiety
31%
Fear
25%
Intro-
verted
11%
Unsupervised Text Classifier
“I got vr to help with social anxiety 🙃“
"I’m ex military so being around a whole lot of people makes me nervous...but [on VR Chat] I can just click a button and I’m gone, you know?”
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“My social life is in VR 🤣🙌🏽 #altspace #vrchat #introvert”
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AI detected fear (25%) as a high emotion: VR is drawing people who are more shy and feel fear when they are on or discussing VR.
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Happiness
Sensuality
Solitude
259k views
#vrcdancecommunity
411k views
3.4M views
310k views
126k views
Finding your community on VR
Exploring Affiliation
Top Everyday Experiences
“Keeping it Real”
“Watching Together”
“Interest Forums”
“Keeping Love Alive”
“Recounting embarrassing story”
Trending Hashtags
VR worlds are virtual places where people create community, from #vrraves to #vrconcerts. It’s also a place where people feel identity affinity groups, from #vrchatLGBTQ to #vrchurch.
Notably, #vrcfurries has 3M+ views on TikTok (their most popular world on VRChat, Furhub, is a fur-friendly world with 2M+ visits)
Users joining in unique community hubs shows how VR has facilitated a unique sense of camaraderie – significant in the backdrop of modern-age loneliness. Users with niche interests who would not have otherwise found one another are coming together on VR and forming cross-border virtual friendships.
#vrcdanecommunity
Positive sentiment (77%)
Negative sentiment (23%) Creativity, Excitement, Affiliation
Top Image Emotions
Affiliation
Creativity
Fear
#vrASL
#vrchurch
#vrchatLGBT
Positive sentiment (80%)
Negative sentiment (20%)
Solitude, Creativity, Affiliation
Positive sentiment (83%)
Negative sentiment (17%)
Sadness, Sensuality, Fear
Hashtag Sentiment
#vrchatLGBT
#vrcfurries
#vrASL
#vrchurch
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Top Image Emotions
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Unleashing creativity & romantic fantasies…for better or for worse
A host of different subcultures and niches
Exploring Creativity
Top Image Emotions
People are finding creative ways to connect with others, from watching VR Movies (+282%) jointly with strangers, playing VR Tennis (+11%) to finding love on VR dating app Flirtual.
Hypersexuality and infantilization of women is clearly present in many of the top subcultures. While certain VR act as safe spaces, the objectification of women – even into stripper/animalistic aesthetics – is undeniably present (whether that’s denigration or liberation of women is up to viewers). It’s clear that VRChat communities are no “utopia”... just like the real world..
Top Image Emotions
Affiliation
Creativity
Fear
Happiness
Sensuality
Solitude
Top Associated Subcultures & Niches
E-girl (8.1%)
Fairycore (2.7%)
Emo (3.6%)
Disco (3.1%)
Dollcore (3%)
Bunnycore (2.3%)
Growing Keywords
VR Movie (+262%)
Bartender VR (+43%)
VR Dating App (+44%)
VR Tennis (+11%)
VR Chat’s user-generated worlds allows for people to unleash their (romantic) fantasies. There is a virtual world for everyone, from bunnycore dance bars to nature-themed cafes.
Understand emotions and the need for community
SUMMARY
Desiring community is central to the growth of Social VR. Virtual spaces are a refuge from a lonely world. Offline socializing can be overwhelming – and serious. Brands should get playful when creating virtual worlds. Consider interactive hang-out spots (like Givenchy). From a dance floor to a cafe, weave community into virtual brand experiences. Cultivate brand loyalty by allowing users to casually hang out in your virtual world. They will feel connected with each other – and your brand.
From creating a VR Chat Discord community to getting involved in online discussions, embed your brand into the VR and wider Web3 ecosystem. This can mean launching new products and trials on VR, as Nissan did. The brand unveiled its new model via a VR Chat virtual brand experience. Users sat at the driver's wheel and tested features, and were later greeted with a virtual latte (Nissan themed, of course).
3. VR AS AN EXTENSION OF THE OFFLINE
Brands must understand that while Social VR is not just a refuge, but another world on its own. Brands should get creative when creating novel virtual experiences. Think virtual pets (as Claire’s did) to brand ambassadors personified as mythical fairies. For Gen Z, expressing themselves as, and starting relationships with, nonhuman avatars is novel, fun – and perhaps liberating.
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Human empathy at scale