There is a latest online trend which seems to be gaining popularity and it involves creating an avatar which represents either yourself or how one feels. It seems these small graphic representations are being seen more often, especially on social networks, where they are generally set as profile pictures.

Avatars have been around years but more famously got known by the movie. The film has contributed to the awareness of the word but net users have seen the word floating around for as long as 10-15 years.

According to the dictionary the word avatar stands for digital representation of someone or their alto ego. Avatar generators are quite widespread amongst the internet community but not all are that great. Choosing the best avatar generators can now be made a breeze with a resource over at Squidoo which lists the Top 5 Avatar creators.

The resource was put together to help internet users source the best and more importantly free avatar generators to cartoon yourself. Most are developed in Adobe Flash (they will require a Flash plugin) The graphics and artwork are some of the finest and classic looking designs online.

There are many different styles of avatar to fit ones taste. Some are more basic than others. It generally depends upon ones taste as to which generator they prefer. 

People also use these designs to play various roles in virtual worlds. Popular virtual worlds include IMVU and Second Life. These platforms contain massive user bases and generate millions in profits. Users once again use and create avatars to chat in virtual reality scenes. Some even go on to date through these channels. In fact sometimes its quite surprising how addicted people become to these 'virtual worlds'. For many users its part of their own lifestyle