Nikola Scheibe

In 2053, the digital landscape underwent a remarkable transformation thanks to the partnership of the Digital Mental Health Organisation and the United Nations of Digital Space. Their mission: combat the toxic body ideals perpetuated by social media.

At the heart of this effort was the »Unity Avatar« — an AI-generated digital representation that embodied a collective body of diversity and unity among all users. The Unity Avatar was created from a huge dataset of people/users who donated their appearance and body movements, showing a variety of skin colours, facial features, body shapes, movements, abilities, genders and ages. This transformative concept was unveiled through an immersive art installation called Unity Avatar at the Dutch Design Week 2023, a first glimpse of the avatar's manifestation. Feeding on the virality of TikTok-challenges and the many bodies involved in their creation — either as actively reproducing performers, as involuntarily shared content, or as viewers passively influenced by stereotypes — the project raised the question of how a society reads and treats bodies online and its effects on people's perception of their own physical bodies.

By 2030 it had infiltrated platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms within the Metaverse, shifting trends from perfection to authenticity. This influenced the capitalist regime, which remained for the time being, but replaced its marketing of ideal, perfect and polished body ideals in advertising and promoted merged/interconnected bodies, fluidity and humanity in terms of body consciousness and identity. In 2053 mental health finally flourished as epidemic conditions like body dysmorphia and depression visibly declined. AI-powered therapy bots guided users toward self-acceptance, while the Unity Avatar embodied hope — a reminder that beauty could be diverse and attainable. This transformation reached beyond individuals. The schools have integrated movement and body awareness exercises into their lessons in order to give the pupils better access to their own bodies in virtual and physical space at a young age. In this context, the topics of empathy and authenticity were particularly promoted in the lessons in order to be able to better deal with one's own external body characteristics and body mobility as well as the diverse body characteristics of other people. A mental-health-culture emerged, fostering open conversations and erasing taboos.

The Unity Avatar's success lay in its collective nature. It was a symbol of humanity's unity and diversity, created with input from communities all over the world. It included every ethnicity, gender, ability, and age. For marginalized groups, the Unity Avatar was transformative. It valued identities that had been sidelined. Young people found representation, while those with disabilities experienced a celebration of strength. This collective embodiment broke barriers in digital engagement. Discussions became inclusive, classrooms echoed with diverse perspectives, and advertisers embraced authenticity. Yet, achieving unity was complex. The United Nations of Digital Space navigated cultural sensitivity and historical injustices, ensuring the Unity Avatar empowered without appropriating. As people engaged with their avatars, they found shared humanity—a revolution that transcended screens and touched society's heart.

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