Extending QoE Research: Addressing Harassment in Social VR Through Feminist Digital Ethnography

Aleksandra Zheleva; Katleen Gabriels; Maria Torres Vega

doi:10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904

Extending QoE Research: Addressing Harassment in Social VR Through Feminist Digital Ethnography

Aleksandra Zheleva^*
, Katleen Gabriels
, Maria Torres Vega

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceeding › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Social Virtual Reality (SVR) enables immersive, avatar-based interaction, introducing new dimensions of presence, co-presence, and social engagement. While existing Quality of Experience (QoE) frameworks capture technical and perceptual aspects of user experience, they often overlook the social, relational, and power-sensitive dimensions that shape users' realities in SVR. This paper proposes Feminist Digital Ethnography (FDE) as a complementary methodology for QoE research, foregrounding reflexivity, intersectionality, and ethical care. Applied to a case study in VRChat, FDE helps surface lived experiences often missed by traditional approaches - revealing how platform affordances, digital embodiment, and social structures interact. By demonstrating FDE's potential to expand QoE frameworks, this work contributes to more inclusive and context-aware understandings of user experience in SVR.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025
Publisher	IEEE
ISBN (Electronic)	9798331554354
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2025
Event	17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025 - Madrid, Spain Duration: 30 Sept 2025 → 2 Oct 2025 https://qomex2025.itec.aau.at/

Publication series

Series	Proceedings. International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX

Conference

Conference	17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025
Abbreviated title	QoMEX 2025
Country/Territory	Spain
City	Madrid
Period	30/09/25 → 2/10/25
Internet address	https://qomex2025.itec.aau.at/

Keywords

Feminist Digital Ethnography
Quality of Experience
Social Virtual Reality

Access to Document

10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904

Cite this

@inproceedings{1ef8ffc371b64eb3a6a3496a7dcabdc9,

title = "Extending QoE Research: Addressing Harassment in Social VR Through Feminist Digital Ethnography",

abstract = "Social Virtual Reality (SVR) enables immersive, avatar-based interaction, introducing new dimensions of presence, co-presence, and social engagement. While existing Quality of Experience (QoE) frameworks capture technical and perceptual aspects of user experience, they often overlook the social, relational, and power-sensitive dimensions that shape users' realities in SVR. This paper proposes Feminist Digital Ethnography (FDE) as a complementary methodology for QoE research, foregrounding reflexivity, intersectionality, and ethical care. Applied to a case study in VRChat, FDE helps surface lived experiences often missed by traditional approaches - revealing how platform affordances, digital embodiment, and social structures interact. By demonstrating FDE's potential to expand QoE frameworks, this work contributes to more inclusive and context-aware understandings of user experience in SVR.",

keywords = "Feminist Digital Ethnography, Quality of Experience, Social Virtual Reality",

author = "Aleksandra Zheleva and Katleen Gabriels and Vega, \{Maria Torres\}",

note = "Funding Information: The work of Aleksandra Zheleva is supported by the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) (11G6522N). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 IEEE.; 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025, QoMEX 2025 ; Conference date: 30-09-2025 Through 02-10-2025",

year = "2025",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904",

language = "English",

series = "Proceedings. International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX",

publisher = "IEEE",

booktitle = "2025 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025",

address = "United States",

url = "https://qomex2025.itec.aau.at/",

}

Zheleva, A, Gabriels, K & Vega, MT 2025, Extending QoE Research: Addressing Harassment in Social VR Through Feminist Digital Ethnography. in 2025 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025. IEEE, Proceedings. International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX, 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025, Madrid, Spain, 30/09/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904

Extending QoE Research: Addressing Harassment in Social VR Through Feminist Digital Ethnography. / Zheleva, Aleksandra; Gabriels, Katleen; Vega, Maria Torres.
2025 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025. IEEE, 2025. (Proceedings. International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceeding › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Extending QoE Research

T2 - 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025

AU - Zheleva, Aleksandra

AU - Gabriels, Katleen

AU - Vega, Maria Torres

PY - 2025/1/1

Y1 - 2025/1/1

N2 - Social Virtual Reality (SVR) enables immersive, avatar-based interaction, introducing new dimensions of presence, co-presence, and social engagement. While existing Quality of Experience (QoE) frameworks capture technical and perceptual aspects of user experience, they often overlook the social, relational, and power-sensitive dimensions that shape users' realities in SVR. This paper proposes Feminist Digital Ethnography (FDE) as a complementary methodology for QoE research, foregrounding reflexivity, intersectionality, and ethical care. Applied to a case study in VRChat, FDE helps surface lived experiences often missed by traditional approaches - revealing how platform affordances, digital embodiment, and social structures interact. By demonstrating FDE's potential to expand QoE frameworks, this work contributes to more inclusive and context-aware understandings of user experience in SVR.

AB - Social Virtual Reality (SVR) enables immersive, avatar-based interaction, introducing new dimensions of presence, co-presence, and social engagement. While existing Quality of Experience (QoE) frameworks capture technical and perceptual aspects of user experience, they often overlook the social, relational, and power-sensitive dimensions that shape users' realities in SVR. This paper proposes Feminist Digital Ethnography (FDE) as a complementary methodology for QoE research, foregrounding reflexivity, intersectionality, and ethical care. Applied to a case study in VRChat, FDE helps surface lived experiences often missed by traditional approaches - revealing how platform affordances, digital embodiment, and social structures interact. By demonstrating FDE's potential to expand QoE frameworks, this work contributes to more inclusive and context-aware understandings of user experience in SVR.

KW - Feminist Digital Ethnography

KW - Quality of Experience

KW - Social Virtual Reality

U2 - 10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904

DO - 10.1109/QoMEX65720.2025.11219904

M3 - Conference article in proceeding

T3 - Proceedings. International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX

BT - 2025 17th International Conference on Quality of Multimedia Experience, QoMEX 2025

PB - IEEE

Y2 - 30 September 2025 through 2 October 2025

ER -

Extending QoE Research: Addressing Harassment in Social VR Through Feminist Digital Ethnography

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