The Metaverse is a spatial computing platform that provides digital experiences as an alternative to or a replica of the real world, along with its key civilizational aspects like social interactions, currency, trade, economy, and property ownership – founded on a bedrock of blockchain technology.
Why Is the Metaverse Important?
- 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭
In a letter announcing Facebook’s rebranding, company CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained that the metaverse would be an “embodied internet,” implying that users would no longer passively consume information.
- 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬
The architecture of metaverse platforms will be democratized, which means that no single individual, group, or organization will control its operations.
- 𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧-𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞
Although the Metaverse is mostly built by startups and businesses, much of its source code is available as open-source through Metaverse projects on GitHub and even VR world creation platforms like Vircadia.
- 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
We currently interact with online information in two dimensions. There are texts and images, a 2D screen, and a passive user with limited interactivity via input peripherals that have been in use for decades.
- 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬
The Metaverse is significant because of its industry and process-agnostic nature. Like the internet, it could be used for almost any purpose, from gaming to work, socialization to research.
- 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲
The Metaverse has the potential to make the internet more accessible to everyone, with particular implications for people with disabilities.
- 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
The Metaverse has the potential to accelerate scientific research by several years, particularly in healthcare, aerospace, manufacturing, and a variety of other fields.
- 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The Metaverse, like social media today, could eventually become a digital destination where we all “hang out.” It will shape friendships, relationships, and interpersonal dynamics, and it may allow people from all over the world to meet in person without having to travel.