We present a computational modelling approach which targets at capturing the specifics on how to virtually augment a Metaverse user's available social time capacity via using an independent and autonomous version of her digital representation in the Metaverse. We envision a Metaverse-focused extension of the traditional avatar concept: An avatar can be as well programmed to operate independently when its user is not controlling it directly, thus turning it into an agent-based digital human representation. This way, the user can virtually delegate on the avatar socializing time required for maintaining the existing contacts, so as to eventually maintain spare non-avatar-mediated socializing time which can be potentially invested in additional socialization activities. We model the setting and identify the characteristic variables via using selected concepts from social sciences: ego networks, social presence, and social cues. Then, we formulate the problem of maximizing the user's non-avatar-mediated spare time as a linear optimization. Finally, we analyze the feasible region of the problem and we present some initial insights on the spare time that can be achieved for different parameter values of the avatar-mediated interactions.

翻译：摘要：我们提出一种计算建模方法，旨在捕捉如何通过使用用户在元宇宙中独立自主的数字表征，来虚拟增强用户可用社交时间容量的具体机制。我们设想了一种传统虚拟形象概念的元宇宙扩展：虚拟形象可在用户未直接操控时被编程为独立运行，从而转化为基于智能体的数字人类表征。通过这种方式，用户可将维持既有社交联系所需的社交时间虚拟委托给虚拟形象，最终保有非虚拟形象中介的备用社交时间，这些时间可投入额外的社交活动。我们利用社会科学中的精选概念（自我中心网络、社会临场感、社会线索）对场景进行建模并识别特征变量。随后，将用户非虚拟形象中介的备用时间最大化问题表述为线性优化问题。最后，我们分析了问题的可行域，并针对虚拟形象中介交互的不同参数取值，给出了可获取备用时间的初步见解。