When I die, I feel small: Electronic game characters and the social self

This article explores children's use of mediated characters as role models for development of their self-concept and personality. Using the perspective of the "social self," we examine data on children's perceptions of electronic game characters as comparisons to their own personality and other developing characteristics. The evidence suggests that children identify quite closely with electronic characters and that these identifications have implications for children's emotional well being and the development of their personality.