Metaverse Technology: The End of Humanity

There were three essentials of human life: food, clothing, and shelter, but with the developing world, now one more element has created its own space in the essentials list, i.e., the Internet. Nowadays, no one can live without the internet. It's become an addiction for humans now, and metaverse Technology is literally the expansion of the internet.

Internet, where you can find anything in a second, learn anything in a click, literally cover endless topics and areas, find anyone and everyone, share whatsoever, and communicate anytime, anywhere.

With Metaverse Technology's presence in the future, there will be many other technologies and opportunities to experience. So, apparently, with Metaverse Technology, virtual worlds can be created where users can live an entirely different life. Imagine a virtual world where you can do whatever you want, however you want, with whomever you want in your personalised avatar anytime with just a set of gloves and headset. Isn’t it exciting? It is, but it is equally terrifying.

Now, imagine a world where You can do whatever you want, however you want, with whomever you want in your personalised avatar anytime with just a set of gloves and headset; why would you go out and personally meet anyone if you can just communicate with anyone with just a click and can perform any activity you want with them? It may be an easier way of contacting and communicating, but it will also kill your real social life.

The Beginning and Invention:

Metaverse originated from two words: ‘Meta’ meaning “beyond” and ‘Verse’ meaning "universe." So, in simple terms, Metaverse means a virtual world that is beyond a human’s imagination. It was first used in 1922 in a science fiction novel named ‘Snow Crash’ by author Neal Stephenson in which he mentions the metaverse as a virtual world where the main character lives more in the virtual world than in the real world with other users, interacting with each other through their online avatars, avoiding reality at any cost.

In the novel, the economies don’t function anymore, and the whole thing belongs to some private giant corporations. Apparently, the only world that exists for people in the novel is the virtual world now, which has developed a virus causing brain damage to human brains. A datafile named Snow Crash caused it, and the male lead tries his best to stop this virus, as his friend died in the real world because of it.

Later on, a sci-fi novel, written by author Ernest Cline in 2011, “Ready Player One,” mentions Metaverse where he predicts the future of the internet and the metaverse in 2045, when poverty and war have destroyed everything. They have a game called OASIS, a beautiful escape from reality where users can shop, play, live, and do whatever they want. Thousands of lakhs of people are using it because, as ugly and disturbing as real life is, OASIS is just like heaven. The creator of the game has also started a contest in which whoever the winner is will get ownership of the whole company, and since it’s worth billions of crores of dollars, users end up making it their only goal and killing each other in real life because of it.

The Future in Multiverse Technology

In October 2021, when Mark Zuckerberg changed Fakebook’s name to Meta, he gave a clear hint that he was building a metaverse future. In his blog, he stated that by creating a world, you’ll be able to do almost anything you can imagine—get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, and create. Yes, it is so nice to have such a metaverse world, but likewise, every coin does have two sides.

In this busy world, when people can only meet for some time on special occasions, with Metaverse Technology’s virtual world, they won’t even meet on their special occasions anymore because now they can meet virtually. Instead of spending time together in the real world and making memories, they’ll end up planning their next task in the virtual world.

How does Metaverse Technology change our lives?

It is said that it doesn't take long for a blessing to become a curse. The same goes with Metaverse Technology. We can hope for the best, but we don’t know what will happen for sure. Here are some predictable effects that Technology will have on our lives:

• Privacy Concerns: When nowadays users are being blackmailed and harassed with some information gathered on the internet, imagine what can be done when your life will be on display with Metaverse Technology.
• Increase in Cyber Crimes: With the emerging Metaverse Technology, will there be a reduction in the physical crime rate? Yes, for sure, but what about the increase in virtual crime? That will be more difficult to stop.
• Digital Addiction and Escapism: There was a time when people only used the internet and digital media for work purposes or emergencies, but not now. Even 10-year-olds have a social platform on the internet today. Will Metaverse Technology make our lives easier? Yes, but it will also make us its slaves.
• Misinformation and Manipulation: Will you be able to access anyone digitally anytime? Of course, you don’t know if it is an authentic and genuine profile or a fake one.
• Dependency on Technology: Technology is a great thing for sure, but it’s known that nothing is good when it's limitless. With Metaverse Technology, our dependency on technology will also increase with ease and comfort.
• Economic Disruption: With everyone engaged in their virtual lives, has it occurred to you that what will happen to our economies, countries, and earth? They’ll be forgotten, ignored, and disrupted eventually.
• Health Concerns: You must’ve heard from your parents not to spend so much time on screens because that is harmful for your eyes and not to listen to high volumes as they are harmful to your ears. Now, if you spend your whole time in there, the health hazards increase, like eye strains, physical discomfort, hearing issues, and much more.
• Incompatibility Between Platforms: Lack of Standardisation and Interoperability Different metaverse platforms may hinder businesses from seamlessly reaching diverse audiences, requiring additional effort to adapt marketing content for various environments.
• Learning Curve for Marketers: With growing Metaverse Technology, there will be endless changes and updates regularly. Marketers need to be aware of each and every update; otherwise, it will result in a loss for the businesses.

Metaverse Technology might sound like fiction to you now, but trust me, it’s not. No matter how much we deny, no matter that over 75% of the population is unaware of the term, it exists in our daily lives and is rapidly gaining importance. It has the power to create and destroy universes. Do you still want a future based on Metaverse Technology? Think twice.