Experiments in living with social virtual reality

Abstract

This article explores the normative significance of experiments in living within immersive social Virtual Reality (VR) environments. Building on John Stuart Mill’s insights into the value of experimentation, we argue that social VR platforms allow users to critically engage with their values, revise commitments, and explore with alternative ways of conducting one’s life under conditions of reduced social and material constraint. We distinguish between individual and collective experiments in living and contend that immersive virtual environments can scaffold both types by reducing feasibility constraints and enabling the enactment of alternative identities and community structures. Special attention is given to the role of avatars, customization practices, and the architectural features of virtual environments that support moral inquiry and self-exploration. Finally, we raise concerns about the symbolic marginalization of virtual experimentation, particularly when such practices are framed as socially deviant or escapist. We conclude that social VR should be recognized as a legitimate site of moral exploration and self-formation, with implications for how we understand agency, recognition, and the ethics of virtual life.