>>273060093
I can answer this one.

I've been playing VRChat since the game came out before the Steam release, when I'd log on, and the only other person logged into VRChat was the CEO. So I've had a lot of time to think about this, study it, and research it as well.

What I've learned may come as a shock... but it turns out that the Shader the developers used for the mirrors has some code that was borrowed from a git repository that was being maintained by some user in the U.K. The shader was called Erised, and apparently the docs for the contribution had some information on the usage of the asset that mentioned it should never be used by muggles. I wasn't sure what that meant, but it continued that according to some fellow named Albus Dumbledore, the way the Shader worked was it would show the "deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts." I eventually came to realize that the name "Erised" is "desire" spelled backwards, as if reflected in a mirror.

So basically, when people look into the mirror in VRChat... what they see is a reflection of their deepest desires... and when people pick an avatar for themselves, it is often of what they like the most... whether it be a cute anime girl, or a furry, or whatever. Often people are not satisfied with their life, or how they look, their age, or even what their gender is. The avatar they choose allows them to get a taste of having an alternative to their life situation... and the mirror reflects that desire... showing them that which they long for the most. It's super addictive... But one must remember in the wise words of Professor Dumbledore...

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."—Albus Dumbledore