Facebook has called the metaverse “the next evolution of social connection”. But, what exactly does this mean? Virtual Reality simulated environments seem like something out of a science fiction movie, could it really be knocking on our front doors already?
What is the metaverse?
While this term may have been popularized by Facebook’s own Mark Zuckerberg, he wasn’t the first one to conceive of such a thing. Tech companies have been researching and developing this technology for years now, and the fruits of this research have made many things possible, from the smart device in your pocket to virtual reality systems.
According to Zuckerberg, who’s spearheading the movement, is a virtual world not unlike a video game – if you’ve played Second Life you already have a basic idea of the concept – where you can interact with your friends, hang out and chat, play games together, buy digital properties and so much more.
You’ll be able to perform various different aspects of your day-to-day activities but all performed within a set virtual space. There’s even talk now of a virtual metaverse currency, a full economy that can run parallel to the real world’s economy.
Is Facebook’s Idea of the Metaverse Different?
No, the current ideas of the metaverse are being taken from the things Zuckerberg has been saying about it. He has a dream, a very specific goal in mind, and has even rocked the world with the rebranding of Facebook to “Meta”. This proves just how serious he is about constructing the Metaverse of his dreams.
Facebook, now known as Meta, aims to create a virtual realm, a simulated universe where any one person can have multiple identities, possessions, and characters to interact with other users who all have the same opportunities in front of them. It’s being heralded as a post-internet world. A decentralized computing platform.
In conclusion
There’s a lot to say about the metaverse and Facebook’s place in it. Given that this concept is still in the womb and we don’t even have any sort of alpha build to go off of yet, it’s truly anyone’s guess as to what this experience will truly be like. Zuckerberg has a lot of goals and a great vision when it comes to this subject, and given his rebranding of the world-famous social media platform Facebook, it shows just how serious he is. Just as he’s said, the arrival of the metaverse is coming, sooner or later.
