Written by: Anika Misra, Tanishqa Kolekar, Rishab Jain, and Annie Lin
Ever since the pandemic started, many people have been using Zoom and other platforms to meet. But calling someone, or even video calling, doesn't allow you to feel like you are in another world, unlike the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a virtual reality world where you create a digital avatar that represents you. As explained by the New York Times, “you wear a headset that immerses you in a 3-D environment.” It’s similar to the Sims, but you are the character. Could this new technology be the start of a new era, or our undoing?
Pros of the Metaverse
This virtual reality world has many advantages, which includes accessibility, human connection, and room for endless possibilities. Firstly, the Metaverse can take accessibility to another level. As showcased in Meta’s “Connect 2021,” the Metaverse could allow you to join events from halfway across the world through virtual reality. There may even be Metaverse-exclusive concerts, sporting events, and more! A concert was held in November of 2021, featuring none other than world famous artist, Justin Bieber. After the success of Justin Bieber’s concert, you can definitely count on multiple other popular artists to make their mark on the Metaverse soon enough.
Next, human connection is taken to another level with this 3D virtual world. What if you could invite your friends and relatives from anywhere on Earth to your ‘virtual’ house? A lot of us have relatives living in other countries. With the Metaverse, we would be able to virtually meet them and talk to them. This world could also allow us to make new friends from anywhere that we would’ve never been able to make in real life. The Metaverse is starting to gain the attention of not only people around the world, but of different ages, too. According to statista.com, about 68% of Adults in the United States are interested in using the Metaverse. That’s more than 220 million people!
Additionally, the Metaverse could be used for so many different reasons: gaming, entertainment, and interaction being just a few. Gaming is taken to another level in Virtual Reality, offering room for developers to expand the experience. Entertainment in the Metaverse could be watching newly released movies from the comfort of your own home. If you’re the person that likes meeting new people, the Metaverse could offer you the chance to talk to people and meet new friends. There are countless amazing applications of the Metaverse; from business meetings, parties, and concerts, to gaming, fitness, and so much more. Wouldn't it be amazing if you could have the exact layout of your house integrated into virtual reality? With the Metaverse, you can make it happen. The possibilities are endless.
Cons of the Metaverse
Despite the amazing and innovative aspects of the Metaverse, the virtual reality world also has major setbacks. In the Metaverse, real money is used to buy not only cosmetics, but virtual land and real estate as well. It is possible that the Metaverse could include banks for widely used cryptocurrencies in the future. However, people using banks in the Metaverse could pose security risks. There is a possibility that bank accounts in the Metaverse could be hacked and money could be stolen. In virtual reality, impersonating someone would become much easier because of the virtual personas or “avatars” that are used.
Furthermore, the Metaverse could be detrimental to the health of people that constantly use the headsets. As you may know, the Metaverse is a blend of virtual reality and augmented reality, which makes the experience seem much more tangible. Continuously switching back between the real world and the virtual world can overwhelm your senses and make you question what is real and what is not. “A 2019 IJERPH study has shown that social media platforms and freemium games use psychological research to prolong screen-time. As Mark Zuckerberg phrases it, “the ultimate expression of social technology” could become dangerously addictive.” People who spend extended periods of time in the Metaverse may start to believe that it is real. The more time that people spend using these headsets, the more that the line between virtual reality and actual reality will start to blur.
Moreover, the Metaverse can be very addictive. As more people start to use these headsets, escaping to the world of virtual reality could soon become the new normal. But is it worth it to risk losing our communication and connection with the real world? If we rely on the Metaverse to be the “future of the internet,” so will subsequent generations. The Metaverse could very well be both the rise of technology and the separation of humans and reality.
What’s the Big Picture?
Though coming with a few flaws, the idea of a metaverse seems pretty promising. In a metaverse, there are many ways you could entertain yourself. For example, you could easily connect with people from all around the world or play games with friends. But like most online networks, it will come with security risks. Your personal information could easily get phished by scammers, and there’s no controlling where or who it will go to.
Overall, the idea of the metaverse is pretty complex, with so many possibilities. Only with time, and with technological advancement, will we be able to tell if the Metaverse will lead humanity to another era or not.
Watch this video to learn more!
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