Why do people keep pretending to be mute?

[76561199179145912]

I've recently seen a lot of people pretending to be mute. Of course, I don't immediately think they are not mute. Some people actually are. It's just the fact that I saw people pretending to be mute with a mute anime avatar who suddenly started talking. I friended one of these people and when they were on a private world they turned out to be not mute at all.

Why are these people craving for attention? I've heard that it's becoming more and more frequent with Twitch V-Tubers on VRChat. I just don't get it.

[AAAAAAAAAAH]

Mute as in muted, probably? Some people just don't like to talk or are too shy for it I guess

[Eternal Ohm]

Some people being mute around certain people and talking around others has been a thing for a while now.

Something to keep in mind is something called selective mutism, where under specific situations somebody completely capable of talking may just completely not talk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_mutism

Additionally, some people may be mute as a result of stuff like Selective Mutism but can quickly start being able to talk to people once they get to know them a bit.

Another thing to consider, is around certain people like close friends they may feel a lot more comfortable and may talk and engage with people they don't know or would otherwise be too shy to talk too if their friend(s) wasn't there.

[Bunkerotter]

you know... social anxiety is a real thing.

At least they are trying to engage with other people, and try to be social. If you force someone with social anxiety, you will make it more difficult for them to talk (most of the time).
So, don't be rude, if someone who doesn't talk isn't interesting to you, move on.

[Fawks]

So, how exactly is this an issue? Just let people be damnit.
Not everyone has an easy time talking to strangers or always feels like talking. There is no harm in any of this.

[Shadowbrodie]

"Mutes" have existed since the start of VRChat, just because they aren't actually mute irl doesn't mean they're doing it for attention.

Some people do it just to RP some cute character, some may have serious social anxiety and not want to talk to random people, some people have it so bad that their throat tightens up and they can't talk and some people might just be shy.

I personally am mute most of the time in VRC because it makes me feel more comfortable around people until I get the confidence to unmute. I'm not pretending, I wish I could talk to randoms believe me.

[zan]

i have a really hard time speaking unless i have 2 or more people i know talking, so for me it's not really on purpose or for attention, some people are just very shy and you gotta give em a minute. For me if i'm hanging out with someone i don't know it usually takes some time for me to start talking, sometimes i don't ever feel comfortable and i never talk to that person or see them ever again lol.

[Λrashi-Kumo]

Hello, New User here. I've only got 6 hours on record so far, mainly on the Quest version.
I have a microphone, but due to my living arrangements, I'm forced into being Mute. If not children getting upset and feeling the need the talk, I've actually met a good number of other folks taking this role!
For me and some other friends, we're mainly using Hand-Signals to express emotion and communicate, however, often meeting a communication barrier.
"Wait! Hold on a sec!"
"I gotta go!"
"I can't see the tablet you're holding but I can see mine. (Let's Just Be)"


I feel like the Devs should create a built in tutorial world that's optional to explore, mainly about teaching ASL--adapted to VRchat of course.


I understand that there's a deaf community on VRchat which has accomplished this! Maybe if others investigated this topic, it'd help break this barrier between mutes and mics.

[VerrucktMedic]

Social anxiety, any related voice dysphoria or dislike of their own voice, roleplay, fun, broken microphone. Tons of reasons really.

[Bunkerotter]

Originally posted by ソラクモ七四:

I understand that there's a deaf community on VRchat which has accomplished this! Maybe if others investigated this topic, it'd help break this barrier between mutes and mics.

There are surprisingly a lot of people who have learned or are learning "VR ASL" (like me), and I occasionally bump into them in public worlds.

[ICtus]

Well, many people, especially Asians, and I play this game to learn some languages. But I think that to speak language is harder than to listen and understand it. So sometimes I just listen what people are saying in some languages and then I mute myself.

[Colley]

It's not pretending. You don't have to physically be mute to be considered a VRC mute. Some mutes never talk and some only talk around people they're comfortable with.

[Flubberz]

imagine ppl getting mad because someone doesnt want to talk in a video game

[HandsOffMySkull]

most of people on vrchat have social anxiety. i personally have social anxiety. honestly, whenever i push myself to talk to random people, it gets me nowhere as most of them are rude. sometimes its understandable to talk to people who u are comfortable with. because like me, it only gives me more anxiety to talk which led me to not talk anymore unless we're close friends.