"I'd rather drink in VRChat": Understanding Drinking in Social Virtual Reality

Drinking in social VR has become popular, yet little is known about how users perceive and experience alcohol consumption while immersed in virtual spaces with others, as well as its potential harm and negative effects on their offline and online lives. To better understand this emerging phenomenon from the perspective of both drinkers and non-drinkers, we analyzed public discussions from the r/VRchat online community on users’ perceptions, and experiences with alcohol consumption in social VR. Heavy drinking is prevalent. We find that VR drinkers feel less intoxicated, which makes them drink more without being aware of it. Anti-cybersickness designs may affect users’ perception of vertigo, even if the vertigo is not caused by VR. We discuss how affordances that support meaningful activities (i.e., sense of presence, embodiment, and social interactions) exacerbate alcohol abuse. We propose implications for the design of safer social VR experiences for both drinkers and non-drinkers.