Meta -What?

The Metaverseis a bridge that combines technologies with the virtual world. Metaverse will connect people to new experiences and possibilities. It will take technological advancements to new heights. The latest technological advances made in the area of Metaverse have become possible because of the technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), 3d modelling, and spatial and edge computing. Technological advancement is inversely proportional to the gap between the physical and digital worlds.

The users can participate in the evolving Metaverse from anywhere, whether working from home, playing games, paying bills, watching multidimensional movies etc. With Metaverse,consumers, businesses, industries and enterprise applications can easily connect, transact, and collaborate.

For example, with the help of healthcare avatars, wellness counsellors will provide therapy services,or a technician will be able to fix an automobile in any part of the world.

Metaverse – A blend of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0

Now the question arises, where does Metaverse exist in the digital world? Well, we can say that it exists somewhere between web 2.0 and web 3.0.

Web 2.0 is a centralised and socially focused platform, while Web 3.0 is a decentralised platform. Therefore,the Metaverse lies on a spectrum that will be based on Web 2.0 by adopting elements of the evolving Web 3.0. It will rely on the technologies like blockchain, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), and decentralised
finance (DeFi).

A perfect example of this blend is Meta (formerly Facebook). The main idea of the work of Meta is to adaptdecentralised features while holding on to the centralised control of the community and data.

Opportunities provided by Metaverse

The Metaverse serves many practical purposes for different sections of the social community. The main benefits of the Metaverse are for consumers, industries and enterprises:

• Consumers: In metaverse technology, consumers will be given much greater control of their data. Their participation in the community will be appreciated. They can also deal with their economic resources by trading NFTs, applying for ownership, and buying digital assets, including artwork. Consumers can experience heightened interactivity and empowerment in their areas.
• Industries: Metaverse will provide proper control of the assets to the industries by enabling them to monitor and optimise supply chains so that the problem can be identified and resolved.Toanticipate and prevent equipment failure and maintain accuracy, they can also create digital twins.
• Enterprises: The enterprises will be independent of traditional workspace models. They will be allocated a skills-based “talent cloud” marketplace where there is a surplus of skilled talent for projects worldwide. Virtual education and training programs will aid in the upskill of workforces.

Metaverse and Future Disruptions

Whenever a human acquaintance with something, he also suffers from its impacts. And with the case of the Metaverse, the consequences are more real and tangible:

An even more immersive and embodied internet

Mark Zuckerberg quoted the Metaverse as an “even more immersive and embodied internet”. Metaverse aims to be a centralised virtual worldthat will work in parallel with our physical world. The idea seems exciting but ambiguous. Worldwide, millions of people already spend several hours and even days interacting on virtual platforms and social spaces. With Metaverse, this is going to be more indulging. This would lead to even less interaction with the natural world or with reality, to be more precise.

Feel like we’re together when we’re not

The metaverse provides us with an opportunity to build a universe we could have ever imagined for ourselves. This will update how we live and experience relationships and the environmentaround us. The initial idea of joining the online community doesn’t sound bad. But Metaverse will result in over-indulgence, which could lead to severe disruptions in our daily lives.

Reality or dream?

A German research paper stated that duringthe pandemic,teenagers’ use of social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Tumblr and online games escalated by 60% from 2019 to 2020. This growth is alarming, and this concern arises whenever advanced technologies are coupled so intimately with our daily life.

We, as internet users, are still trying to figure out the problems created by the internet, such as cyber-attacks, cyber-bullying, catfishing, harassment, hate speech, cyber fraud etc. With Metaverse, we may speculate a rise in these online threats. In order to slash down these threats, exclusively restrictive measures and highly enabled cybersecurity approaches should be considered, especially when reality is in proximity to the virtual world.

Physical well-being at risk

It has been seen in the last few years that people who spend maximum time on the internet have complained about some health issues like nausea, motion sickness and dizziness.HeavyweightVR headsets put much pressure onthe head and neck, which leads to headaches, muscle strain and irritability. People who are regular on social media platforms often isolate themselves from the real world and withdraw from real-life activities. And these problems will worsen with the adoption of the Metaverse.

Safety Concerns

A gang rape case came into notice where a victim stated that a few men attached her avatar and molested her sexually. This raises the question of women’s safety in the virtual world. According to Meta, they provide various tools to help people to stay safe, shifting the responsibility to them functionally.

Therefore, as a precautionary measure and to prevent mis happenings, users must be well aware of all the cybercrimes, their gravity and the necessary steps to protect themselves. It is always advisable to conduct proper and adequateresearch before entering the Metaverse world.