Angelo Ledda ’24
Within recent times, the Metaverse had sparked in popularity. This term is being spoken and considered by gargantuan companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and others. Now, a common question being asked is “What exactly is the Metaverse?” Google’s definition of the Metaverse is, “a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.” The article, “The metaverse, explained”, gives a more in-depth definition: “In the broadest terms, the metaverse is understood as a graphically rich virtual space, with some degree of verisimilitude, where people can work, play, shop, socialize — in short, do the things humans like to do together in real life (or, perhaps more to the point, on the internet).” In general, the Metaverse is a virtual 3D world where humans can interact with others and do normal activities.
A question that someone may ask is “Why are these companies investing into the metaverse?” These companies are investing in the metaverse because it gives the abilities to do everyday lives and companies want to incorporate this concept into everyday lives and even have people make a living in them. This is backed up by the article, “What is the Metaverse (And How Can I Invest in it?) when the author states, “You’ll be shopping, visiting global attractions, and attending concerts. It’s also possible you could be attending classes and even interacting with co-workers, like Zoom . . . At some point, you may actually make your living in the metaverse, selling digital services or products.” Another reason why companies want to invest in this virtual world is because of the easy access people have to it. This is shown through how the basics of the metaverse works by people only needing to simply put on a Virtual Reality headset. In summary, companies are looking to invest into this other world for the amount of abilities consumers can have in it and because people can easily access and enter this world.
When discussing companies and they’re views on the metaverse another question is usually asked. This question being, “Will the metaverse actually be successful and how will it affect humanity in the future?” There is sadly no full answer to that question because it is all hypothetical. While companies such as Facebook have started to invest and release their version of this reality, most companies are still developing their version of it or are even still thinking about if putting money into it is truly a good idea. Since the question being asked revolves around the future, we don’t know for sure how it will affect future civilizations or how it will affect our everyday lives in the near future. All in all, the metaverse is being heavily discussed by both major monopolies and potential consumers and is being heavily thought about by everyone on how it will affect the future.
The Salesian Spectator 