Gaze is a powerful form of body language, and virtual worlds, by and large, are still lacking in this form of expressive connectivity. The silent act of shooting a bit of eye contact on someone’s avatar can be a signal to start a conversation. It can show attraction, and it can show WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO (one bit of affordance that is often missing in virtual worlds). It can also create romantic effects

(via Avatar Gaze Breaks Fourth Wall « Virtual Body Language)