Digital Case Study: Metaverse
CMNS-340
Mitchell Pelletier
300288809
2/1/2022
Key Relevance Statement
In the last few years, we have seen some incredible digital innovations. NFT’S and Crypto currencies were some of the biggest topics in 2021 and continue to gain popularity across multiple age groups. However, 2022 may be the year we see one of the biggest and boldest innovations ever. The metaverse is a simulated digital environment that uses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and blockchain, along with concepts from social media, to create spaces for rich user interaction mimicking the real world.
Context/Background
Supporters of the metaverse envision its users working, playing, and staying connected with friends through everything from concerts and conferences to virtual trips around to the world. Large corporations like Meta (formerly Facebook) and Microsoft have their own variations of the metaverse. Meta’s metaverse will focus on social interactions while Microsoft will allocate its focus to employment and work within their metaverse. The term “metaverse” has been around for nearly three decades. It was first introduced in Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel, Snow Crash. In the novel, users use metaverse as an escape from a futuristic, largely dystopian world. The foundation of the metaverse has already been built. Some of the existing building blocks of the metaverse include virtual reality, online video game worlds, social media, NFT’S, Crypto currencies, and digital wallets. The metaverse will create new opportunities for businesses, content creators, graphic designers, video game designers, 3D modeling experts, and VR world-building experts. Meta describes their metaverse as "a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren't in the same physical space as you”. A great example of an early metaverse is Minecraft. With Minecraft, there is a single world that anyone can access across a wide range of products (including VR headsets), each person can create their own game world inside of it, and you can purchase digital items to personalize your avatar. However, Tony Parisi, co-creator of the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), argues that game worlds are too specific to be classified as true metaverses.
Counter Arguments & Concerns
The first concern that arises from the metaverse is Meta’s horrific track record with user privacy and data leaking. Cambridge Analytica and the recent leak of 533 million users' data proves the company can't safeguard its thorough knowledge of people's lives (Hicks, 2022). The second concern involves children and adolescents. Social media has reproduced countless acts of cyber bullying and online harassment. These issues could be just as prevalent (if not worse) in the metaverse. Mitch Prinstein, a clinical psychologist who is the chief science officer for the American Psychological Association, states “All of these new tools, and all of these new possibilities, could be used for good or for evil” (Huddleston, 2022). Another concern is how the metaverse allows you to create an avatar that is the ideal version of yourself. For teenagers, self esteem is based off of what other people think about you and being able to fictionalize your identity and receive different feedback could disrupt a teenager’s identity. It is very likely that the metaverse will target this demographic and parents should be concerned. The last concern has to do with sexual harassment. Horizon Worlds, Meta’s virtual reality social media platform, was meant to be a fun and wholesome experience. However, on November 26th, a female user was groped by a stranger with her brother-in-law and husband watching. Meta responded to the situation by saying she should have used a tool called “Safe Zone” which prevents other players from touching, talking, and interacting. VR sexual harassment is a serious concern, especially when you consider the number of children and teenagers that use these applications. If the metaverse is to succeed, it will need to take extreme measures to ensure the safety of its users.
Conclusion
The idea of the metaverse is fascinating and its existence becomes more and more realistic with each digital innovation. However, there are still plenty of grey areas and concerns that need to be addressed before it can be fully implemented into our lives. Safety should be Meta and Microsoft’s biggest concern, but both companies have a shady past when it comes to user privacy. The metaverse could be one of the biggest successes in human history, or one of the worst failures.
References
Hicks, M. H. (2022, January 4). The Metaverse explained: How it’ll work, when it arrives, and who owns it. Android Central. https://www.androidcentral.com/metaverse
Huddleston, T. H. (2022, January 31). “This is creating more loneliness”: The metaverse could be a serious problem for kids, experts say. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/31/psychologists-metaverse-could-be-a-problem-for-kids-mental health.html#:%7E:text=Recent%20research%20has%20shown%20myriad,esteem%20and%20body%20image%20issues.
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