The paper "I'd rather drink in VRChat": Understanding Drinking in Social Virtual Reality explores the phenomenon of alcohol consumption in social virtual reality (VR) environments, particularly within the VRChat platform. The study aims to understand how users perceive and experience alcohol consumption while immersed in virtual spaces, as well as its potential harm and negative effects on their offline and online lives. The research is based on an analysis of public discussions from the r/VRchat online community, focusing on two main research questions: 1. **How do drinkers experience alcohol consumption in social VR?** 2. **How do non-drinking bystanders perceive the practice?** Key findings include: - **Hampered Perception of Drunkenness**: Users tend to underestimate their intoxication due to VR's cybersickness mitigation strategies, such as reduced Field-Of-View (FOV), leading to higher alcohol consumption. - **Enhanced Alcohol Tolerance**: VR can alter users' perception of intoxication, making them feel less affected by alcohol. - **Post-headset Realizations**: Users often realize their level of intoxication only after removing the VR headset, leading to overdrinking. - **Advantages for Drinking Practice**: Social VR platforms offer perceived advantages such as increased safety, cost-effectiveness, and a sense of presence, which can lead to more drinking. - **Negative Impact on Users’ Lives**: Alcohol consumption in social VR can cause health issues, social relationship problems, and academic performance issues. - **Navigating Social Anxiety**: Alcohol is used to mitigate social anxiety in VR, potentially leading to dependency on alcohol for social interactions. The study also highlights the negative experiences of non-drinking users, including offensive behavior, bodily reactions, and peer pressure to drink, which can disrupt their virtual experience. The research contributes to the understanding of the risks associated with heavy drinking in social VR and provides implications for safer VR design.The paper "I'd rather drink in VRChat": Understanding Drinking in Social Virtual Reality explores the phenomenon of alcohol consumption in social virtual reality (VR) environments, particularly within the VRChat platform. The study aims to understand how users perceive and experience alcohol consumption while immersed in virtual spaces, as well as its potential harm and negative effects on their offline and online lives. The research is based on an analysis of public discussions from the r/VRchat online community, focusing on two main research questions: 1. **How do drinkers experience alcohol consumption in social VR?** 2. **How do non-drinking bystanders perceive the practice?** Key findings include: - **Hampered Perception of Drunkenness**: Users tend to underestimate their intoxication due to VR's cybersickness mitigation strategies, such as reduced Field-Of-View (FOV), leading to higher alcohol consumption. - **Enhanced Alcohol Tolerance**: VR can alter users' perception of intoxication, making them feel less affected by alcohol. - **Post-headset Realizations**: Users often realize their level of intoxication only after removing the VR headset, leading to overdrinking. - **Advantages for Drinking Practice**: Social VR platforms offer perceived advantages such as increased safety, cost-effectiveness, and a sense of presence, which can lead to more drinking. - **Negative Impact on Users’ Lives**: Alcohol consumption in social VR can cause health issues, social relationship problems, and academic performance issues. - **Navigating Social Anxiety**: Alcohol is used to mitigate social anxiety in VR, potentially leading to dependency on alcohol for social interactions. The study also highlights the negative experiences of non-drinking users, including offensive behavior, bodily reactions, and peer pressure to drink, which can disrupt their virtual experience. The research contributes to the understanding of the risks associated with heavy drinking in social VR and provides implications for safer VR design.