Metaverse-Why it is the hottest buzzword in 2022
Nowadays, the metaverse is very popular all around the world and is a hot topic nowadays. But here, the question arises about what metaverse is and what impacts it will have on the planet.
In July 2021, Mark Zuckerberg staked Facebook’s future on the metaverse. To prove he was serious, he renamed the company Meta and promised to spend billions of dollars on building a metaverse.
What is metaverse?
The metaverse is considered to be the next big step in technology. It can be defined as an online virtual world where we can socialize, live, work, travel, and play as avatars using virtual reality (VR) instruments. It does not exist yet and is still mostly science fiction at this stage, but the idea is in process. This would take some time to complete. But this does not stop businesses of all shapes and sizes from trying to get involved in it. J.P Morgan, HSBC, Gucci, and Coca-Cola are among the few firms that have dabbled with the metaverse so far.
The metaverse is not alone in the Facebook thing; it is the universe in which all of these big tech companies are slowly but surely pouring tens of billions of dollars into creating. The other companies are working on their plans for the metaverse. NFL and Roblox team up to build the metaverse presence.
Concept of the metaverse:
Throughout history, we have constantly been moving towards more engaging mediums. We have gone from text to photos to videos. We have gone from reading books and newspapers to spending most of our spare time watching tiktoks and scrolling on the internet. And metaverse is exactly what comes next. Internet that you are not just looking at through screens but that you are inside of. Let us take an example of doing anything right now like shopping, chatting with friends, etc. Now imagine, in the time it takes you to snap your fingers, you could be doing all of this in a way that feels real and with other people who feel present and in a setting that you ever wished for and wanted it to be. This is the living, shared, eternal virtual universe. This is Meta’s vision of the metaverse and is achieved through a combination of augmented reality and virtual reality.
Mark has said that they will subsidize the cost of the headset in an effort to get as many people on this planet to be a part of the metaverse.
The pros and cons of the metaverse?
This fact is undeniable that the metaverse could have some extremely positive and life-changing impacts on people’s lives. Starting with the fact that it could help connect us to a world where geographical barriers would not be a problem. Metaverse claims to be an infinite virtual world where you choose your location regardless of your physical location. Moreover, the VR interface would allow you to have an immersive experience. It could enable you to live your fantasies in a world you always thought of. There would also benefit to social media as it could be upgraded to a newer level, increasing effective social interactions. The combination of social media with the 3-dimensional virtual world could be a game-changer.
Furthermore, it could be advantageous for online learning and working. After covid, the online work and education had an immense increase. The metaverse could help to provide an in-hand experience of schools, offices, etc. where conveying ideas and concepts would be a lot easier and more convenient than before, increasing productivity as we could be able to obtain information in a visual and most interactive way we have ever seen.
With all the advantages come some disadvantages as well. Listing the first disadvantage that comes with it is the fear of increased cybercrime. On the other hand, losing cultural and traditional values would be a concern for many people as well. Many people would be spending their time on the metaverse ignoring their immediate environment, family, and cultural values. One more concerning factor would be health issues. Due to people spending most of the time on the metaverse, their physical activities would decrease which could give rise to health problems.
Regardless of the cons, people are still excited to welcome and experience a whole new metaverse platform.
There is still a long journey to go with the metaverse until it is fully optimized. But its idea is directed toward a completely different world we are about to reach gradually. Of course, apart from all the startling benefits, there are also some serious disadvantages that must be kept in mind. But in the end, how we use technology is always in our hands. It depends on whether we allow technology to ruin our way of living or not.
