Welcome to the “Metaverse”
Following Facebook’s recent name change to “Meta,” the metaverse has become a hot topic in regards to the future of the internet. Major companies including Microsoft and Meta (Facebook) have already announced to the public what their visions of the metaverse will look like—each a different approach to a potentially big industry.
The term metaverse first appeared in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. The book describes metaverse as a virtual reality space accessible by users through individual terminals such as VR headsets. It acts as a digital place where people can interact without affecting the real world. The concept of experiencing life in a digital world is not a new idea, and popular films such as Ready Player One and Sword Art Online (SAO) have already offered their own interpretations.
What is Meta’s vision of the metaverse? Surprisingly, Meta’s vision is not much different from common depictions in science fiction literature and media. Users will be able to use virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) as their portals to access the metaverse and interact with friends and family.
Some people believe parts of the metaverse already exist and have existed for many years, while others believe it is a new step in the evolution of technology. The metaverse—regardless of what it may look like— will likely be a significant aspect of our future digital lifestyle, or as Mark Zuckerberg says, it will be “the successor of the mobile internet.”
Video games such as Roblox, Minecraft, and The Sims have existed for over a decade—all of which simulate a virtual world for players to live in. The only difference between these games and the metaverse is that the metaverse will feel more four-dimensional and real than current models.
However, with gaming being the number one addiction amongst teens, health experts pointed out the risk that the metaverse—a parallel world with no boundaries— could mentally destroy vulnerable populations. Addictions to digital technology have been linked to anxiety and depression, and with the metaverse encouraging its users to be even more socially isolated, this could worsen those side effects. Since users will most likely be spending most of their time indoors whilst in the metaverse, vitamin D deficiency is also a potential threat.
The metaverse will be a world built on reality with digital modifications. For example, if users want to play table tennis with their friend, but are not in close physical proximity to each other, they can log into the metaverse and use a virtual table as well as virtual balls and paddles to play. It is also entirely possible to incorporate real objects and have only certain elements be virtual. The metaverse will display the user and their friend on the interface, along with all the virtual elements, allowing for a live game and real time communication.
This is only a portion of the possibilities in the metaverse though. From attending virtual school to exploring the Sahara Desert, anyone can go anywhere with a click of a button. Schools will be able to offer virtual field trips, allowing students to travel back in time to learn about various historic events, or allow them to fly to outer space and learn about the solar system. Families can sit in their living room and take a vacation to Hawaii, or visit their relatives who live across the globe. The opportunities are nearly endless, permitting anyone with access to the metaverse to do as they would like in the reality-based virtual world.
The metaverse will also incorporate the usage of cryptocurrency. Users will be able to play cryptocurrency games similar to Axie Infinity where players buy, train, and trade NFT Pokémons each registered on the Ethereum blockchain. With the least valuable Pokémon characters worth 100 USD, players have the potential to make a considerable amount of money from the metaverse. Since cryptocurrency is a decentralized form of currency, third parties like the bank will no longer be involved.