Metaverse is a combination of multiple elements of technology, including augmented reality, virtual reality, and video, where users “live” within a digital universe.
When the Internet was still new, American Novelist ‘Neal Stephenson spoke about virtual reality. In his 1992 dystopian novel Snow Crash. In the book, the Metaverse is presented as the ultimate evolution of the Internet — a kind of virtual reality where any virtual interaction can have a direct impact on the real world too. The word “metaverse” is a portmanteau of two words “Meta-” and “verse”. The word “Meta” is a prefix of Greek-origin meaning “beyond”, while “verse” comes from the word “universe”.
A virtual world where people would use Digital Avatars to play, work, and live online. He called it the ‘Metaverse.’ Stephen envisioned the Metaverse would be the future successor of the Internet. An escape from a ‘Dystopian Reality. What is the picture he painted about the Dystopian Reality? First, the global economy has collapsed. Second, federal Governments have lost power, and a few giant corporations are in control of the world economy.
Three decades ago, the big techs were working and building the same future, excluding the dystopia, hopefully! Today, tech giants like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook are rising to claim Metaverse- a virtual universe that will co-exist with the real one. As we all know, Facebook has even changed its name to ‘Meta’ to stay ahead of the game.
Metaverse may sound like an idyllic place to spend time with many of their users, especially since the Pandemic had locked us down. But, for the last two years,’ human contacts’ were the cause of the casualties. Enter metaverse that promises to revolutionise our lives and has become an extension of our physical world.
Do we need an imaginary world controlled by Tech Giants? Will it make our lives better on the Internet? Or will it manipulate our perception of reality? However, 2022 is the year poised to be the year of Metaverse. A technology-based Augmented Reality space that could change how we live and interact forever. Think of the Internet that you are not just looking at but are living in. Your Digital Avatar will inhabit the Metaverse instead of watching and reading about a subject you will be experiencing.
Doing those actions yourself digitally and other people who want to be part of your experience. To further simplify, imagine you are under a lockdown far away from your family. How do you stay in touch with them? Through the video calls, that is the closest you can be with them today. But, Metaverse promises to change that. Here you can meet your family in a virtual space. You can play games with them in your digital avatar with actual movements and conversations. This is what Metaverse offers ‘Experience’, not just sight and sound.
This concept is, however, not new. Video games have had it for a while now. Ask your kids or young ones in the family if they might be already a digital land barrenest or the owner of a giant doll corporation. Some of the most prominent gaming organisations like Fortnite, Roblox, and Grand theft auto have already built their virtual worlds with their virtual storylines, characters, currencies, and economies.
The Metaverse, too, may have some of these gaming elements, but it will not be a video game. Instead, it will be a ‘Cyber Space’ where reality meets imagination. Here the characters will be the real ‘human beings, but their world will be entirely fictional, made of virtual reality elements that parallel real life is what the proponents of Metaverse say. Mark Zuckerberg’s pitch for Metaverse is, “The Metaverse would be the second-best thing to a teleporting device. Teleporting Around the Metaverse will be like clicking a link.” Exploring a virtual world while physically being at home.
How many virtual worlds are there going to be? Will there be one Metaverse or different Metaverses? There will be an endless number of Metaverses given the investments pouring in. Going by the kind of investments being made, it would be safe to say that we will be spoiled for choice. There are different virtual worlds in making an endless list. Facebook wants to be the biggest one, but it is not the only one in the pursuit.
Many tech giants are at it. For instance, Apple is rumoured to have a secret team of hundreds of employees working on virtual and augmented reality projects like the advanced VR Apple Glasses, which could revolutionise the Metaverse experience. In addition, Google is working on an innovative augmented reality device that will create a different and unique Metaverse platform called the ‘Screen Rant.’ Microsoft has also joined the race creating a digital world called ‘Mesh’ This will incorporate virtual experiences directly into Microsoft Teams with 3D avatars for immersive meetings. Next in the race is Disney, creating a Disney theme, Metaverse. It would be an extension of Disney’s film and steaming service.
Even the Governments are betting on it. In 2021 the South Korean Government announced the creation of a National Metaverse Alliance. Bring different virtual worlds under one umbrella. At the same time, Barbados is one step ahead as it plans to set up an ‘Embassy’ in the Metaverse. Barbados to become the first Sovereign Nation with an Embassy in Metaverse. In 2021 they signed an agreement with crypto backed virtual world to set up a digital diplomatic mission. In the United States of America, Santa Monica, California, became the first US city that partnered with a Metaverse company to launch the digital version of Santa Monica city in Metaverse. An arrangement where players can win rewards by collecting items hidden at various locations of the digital city.
Metaverse is no more an experiment by a few Tech Geeks. Instead, it is becoming an inevitable alternative to reality. The questions that need to be answered are: Does the Metaverse ensure privacy? Is the Metaverse an Equitable space? How Democratic and Open source will it be? What lines do we need to draw? Above all, Will the Metaverse be safe?
The Dark side of Metaverse: The safety reason is critical as there are already reports about crime on the Metaverse. In Dec 2021 woman in San Francisco stabbed Meta’s Oculus headset to play her favourite shooter game. When she entered the game, her digital avatar was approached by a stranger avatar who groped and harassed her avatar digitally. When asked to stop, the perpetrator told the victim, “it is the Metaverse, and I will do what I want.” It isn’t delightful and not one of an incident.
According to the centre for countering digital hate, a violent incident occurs every seven minutes in a famous virtual reality world. This makes the concept challenging. Virtual reality plunges you into a digital environment. The slightest touch or sensory experience is heightened. It is exaggerated to give you an immersive experience. Every crime committed can feel much more real and intense, creating a deep mental stigma. These issues are likely to get magnified once the Metaverse expands.
How do the Tech companies plan to address these critical concerns? How do they plan to ensure the Privacy and Safety of Digital Avatars? In March 2021, Andrew Bosworth – Executive Meta, said, “Policing user behaviour at any meaningful scale is practically impossible.” In that case, how safe is Metaverse going to be, especially for the children? For most tech companies, the target audience is children – teenagers who are almost always on the Internet.
However, studies have proven that Metaverse is not safe for children. Several crimes have been reported where children have been exposed to graphic sexual content. Children are being groomed to repeat racist slurs. Children adopt extremist views from strangers, and children are subjected to sexual harassment. All of which are already happening, and it is ‘Practically Impossible to Stop.’
To summarise, in my opinion, Metaverse can change the world for the better potentially, but it also can overstep its purpose. It can become a tool for predators to commit crimes online and get away with it. It can also become a dangerous and unhealthy escape from reality. As it is, we are living in strange times. Our need for social interaction is being denied to stop the deadly virus. We are relying on technologies to fill the void. The Metaverse promises people to give a ‘Second Life’ of source, an online world where they can interact, meet, party, shop and even build a house.
However, none of this will be ‘Real.’ It is only made to make you forget reality to escape the uniquely human elements of life like hugging someone you love, walking your dog, meeting your friends for lunch or buying your first car. These are the staples of life that cannot be replicated online. Please remember that ‘Holograms’ cannot replace Human Relationships, nor can ‘Sensory’ experiences replace real emotions. The Metaverse cannot become your ‘Second Life’; it will, at best, be your imprisoned reality.
