“Meta” is a prefix that is coined from a Greek word which means after, or beyond. Verse" as a suffix denotes an imaginary world associated with characters, TV series or shows, giving the sense of a completely different world. Meta-verse is a separate reality in a virtual sense which allows users to interact with a computer-generated environment and other users. It basically fuses various technological element from video, to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), where a user can exist within a digital (Programmed) world. The whole concept of this metaverse now goes beyond simply keeping in touch with people virtually and events from distance, but to allow people have a sense of physical space in this reality. Users can play, work, attend conference and go on vacation with the use of avatars to represent a physical presence.
This concept has become the new gospel the from the tech-evangelists in Silicon Valley to the rest world. Some big tech giants are in the forefront of bringing this vision to life.
Facebook attracted serious attention after it was rebranded to “Meta” and not long after, Mark Zuckerberg gave a one-hour presentation of the vision of the Meta-verse. Other tech companies like Nvidia and Microsoft are also in the game.
Now, how does this affect us in general?
When the Meta-verse is brought to life; think of it as the internet brought to life, or at worst rendered in three-dimensional reality. Which a virtual environment where users can go inside as opposed to just looking at our screen.
Technically, it will be a world of unlimited interconnected digital environment where people meet, play, and have fun, and work using virtual reality headset and augmented reality lenses, smart watch, apps, phones etc.
Below are five ways the Metaverse will impact our lives and change the world, hopefully for the better.
1. Remote Employment
The metaverse can prove to be a game changer in making the system of work-from-home more effective amid the pandemic. Ever since the lockdown period, remote work and online communication are becoming increasingly normalized. And from Metaverse is giving us a possibility that the future of work may involve something far beyond the likes of Zoom and Video chat. There’s no doubt that emerging technology like Zoom has given many workers more convenient alternative to traditional work, but the development of Metaverse technology will be the ultimate game changer where employers and employees can meet in a virtual reality that mirrors their physical office. Avatars can be used to represent users in meetings and at best, a hologram of the user can be used for attendance. This can create unparallel convenience to workers, as there will be no need to commute, because all interactions will have digital alternatives that are equally effective.
2. New Job Opportunities
Need for digital artiste will increase, because this is a virtual world where almost everything done and needed in real life will be used. Users will need avatars to navigate this reality, and avatars are in form of 3d rendered image of the user. There will be need to design an avatar, which is an opportunity for digital artist to make money. Also, clothes, shoes, haircuts, and other accessories will be designed by digital artist which will all be monetized.
3. Innovative Communication for Education
Educational institutions have also been forced to use technologies and services to enable remote or remote learning due to restrictions on face-to-face interactions. Note that the Covid19 pandemic is the main reason for videoconferencing platforms like Zoom Video Communications, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams have become more popular. However, as noted above, these platforms do not provide a compelling and engaging experience unlike face-to-face interaction.
Interaction is limited to real-time screen-to-screen audio and video. A metaverse-based platform would allow more engaging interaction between participants through the immersive and graphically rich virtual environment. Instead of viewing the rest of the participants on a computer screen and communicating through microphones and speakers, imagine being in a virtual office or conference room and being able to see around navigate through this virtual environment in a complete 360-degree fashion while interacting with life-like avatars of the participants.
4. Virtual Events and Concerts
The opportunities available for event planners and managers in the real world will shift into the metaverse world as it will gradually be more convenient for people around to enter gathers through the augmented reality and feel the experience as if they were truly there physically.
Meta verse operating on social currencies like NFTs (Non-fungible token) for event tickets or as proof of attendance. This could be very effective in events in several other ways. First, it offers a safe and decentralized way to prevent tickets from being counterfeit.
Final thoughts
While the metaverse promises to serve us with best content and technology we’re yet to witness, we should also be aware of some of it possible cons which some critics are raising. It can be more addictive compared to the present internet. Also, the fact that Facebook and Microsoft are the forefront enables them to lead the way into a virtual world that could require even more personal data and offer greater potential for abuse and misinformation when it hasn’t fixed those problems in its current platforms. However, it seems clear that Facebook wants to carry its business model, which is based on using personal data to sell targeted advertising, into the metaverse.
Reference
1. https://apnews.com/article/meta-facebook-explaining-the-metaverse-f57e01cd5739840945e89fd668b0fa27
3. https://www.profolus.com/topics/metaverse-explained-advantages-and-disadvantages/
