I FIRST BECAME INTERESTED in virtual worlds when I was a PhD student about two decades ago. At the time, the virtual social world Second Life, founded in 2003, was at the center of media excitement, and I was fascinated by the idea of a virtual space where you could earn money while working as an avatar — a term that I had to look up to understand. This curiosity led me to start several projects examining consumer behavior in virtual worlds and exploring how brands could establish flagship stores on an island in Second Life.








