I Was Afraid Not to See Him Again
"Reality is a thing of the past" is a bit of a daunting statement, isn't it? It drums up fears of a world dominated by rogue A.I. and conjures images of human beings plugged into machines. And it ought to since that phrase is the tagline for The Matrix (1999). The Wachowskis meditated on a myriad of complex ideas in their seminal sci-fi film, chiefly "what is the Matrix?" and "volition humanity develop a dangerous relationship with technology and artificial worlds?"
A little over two decades after, we find ourselves request a similar question; "what is the Metaverse?" Unfortunately, in that location are no simple answers when it comes to this virtual world produced by Facebook — apologies, "Meta Platforms". Some bill it as the "next stride" in social media and online interactions. Others view it as yet some other way for Big Tech companies to siphon our personal information. Then, there's the camp that views information technology as something straight out of a dystopian sci-fi book. "What is the Metaverse, and should we be afraid of it?" you might now be asking. Well, permit's come across how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Put simply, a "metaverse" is a 3D virtual globe where multiple users can seamlessly interact with ane another via the internet. Author Neal Stephenson first coined the term in "Snow Crash", a 1992 sci-fi novel that condemns the prospect of massive corporations holding too much influence over society. Stephenson uses the discussion metaverse to describe an invasive, addictive, predatory online platform — ane that promotes corporate interests over the health and well-existence of its users.
In his Connect 2022 briefing, Mark Zuckerberg described his Metaverse as "an embodied cyberspace where y'all're in the experience, not merely looking at it." Zuckerberg showcased some of the tech's numerous features — working, shopping, and hanging out online — while also promising to introduce augmented reality (AR) experiences shortly. Information technology's articulate that Zuckerberg and co. are going all-in with their Metaverse; Facebook Horizon launched in 2022 as a persistent online game and Facebook, Inc. officially rebranded itself every bit Meta Platforms in 2021.
But hither's the affair: a truthful metaverse isn't a concept that ane company can own. Such a lofty product would need to be "open-source", significant that anyone and anybody would have access to its original source code. Facebook/Meta Platforms would need to be completely transparent with their source code and allow users to brand modifications of their own accord. Somehow, that seems extremely unlikely.
"Megacorporation" is another term to keep in mind. First coined past economist Alfred S. Eichner in his book The Megacorp and Oligopoly (1976) and later by sci-fi novelist William Gibson of Neuromancer (1984) fame, megacorps are defined by both authors as massive companies with extremely ubiquitous wealth and influence. Big Tech companies similar Amazon, Google, and Facebook/Meta Platforms fit that description, with each generating well over $fifty billion in revenue each year.
Many Large Tech companies as well regularly clash with U.S. Congress over everything from labor laws to privacy disputes. Facebook has participated in numerous high-profile duels with the Us authorities; Congress has called Zuckerberg to court in April 2018, October 2020, and March 2022 regarding his handling of users' data.
That last upshot is of detail import regarding the Metaverse, as there's genuine concern that the platform volition let corporations to spy on their users on a much more intimate level. In October 2021, whistleblower Frances Haugen released a troubling testimony regarding Facebook's practices, which coincided with the October 4 WhatsApp outage.
Existent-Earth Consequences
It's tempting to live by the adage "what happens online stays online", just nosotros've seen plenty of evidence to the contrary in recent years. Surveys conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center indicate that online harassment can prompt victims to feel everything from astute depression to suicidal ideation. Sexual harassment is an issue in virtual worlds that is much harder to combat than in person. A adult female was purportedly "groped" in Facebook's ain Horizon Worlds in Dec 2022 — a microcosm of the harassment that many people confront in multiplayer video games.
Zuckerberg said that data will be integral to building and maintaining the Metaverse, merely Facebook is still regularly condemned for selling user data to various third parties. The site also continually faces widespread backlash for permitting targeted ads that prey on children, promote hate speech, and spread misinformation. Moreover, there's compelling bear witness that links Facebook's irresponsible business practices to the January vi insurrection.
Last year, militias in Ethiopia used Facebook to buy and sell weapons as well as coordinate attacks. Military machine officials in Myanmar and anti-Islamic militias in India used Facebook for similar purposes too. Facebook knew nigh these activities but did next to nothing to preclude them.
And so, at that place'southward the biological chemical element. Using whatsoever electronic device for too many hours on end can exist harmful to your concrete and mental health. The same goes for VR headsets; long periods of exposure volition damage your retinas and trigger motion sickness in susceptible parties. Individuals who are living with addictions may besides buckle under the weight of the Metaverse as we've seen with people who are addicted to gambling.
Could We Live In a Virtual Earth… And Should Nosotros?
Partway through The Matrix, Neo learns that he's lived within a faux reality for his entire life, and that "the desert of the real" is all that's left of civilization every bit we know information technology. Could something like that happen to us; could our entire style of life shift into a digital world as the physical world crumbles around us? Not probable. Co-ordinate to Dr. Mayank Mehta of UCLA, our minds volition always differentiate between virtual and real experiences. Our brains form "cognitive maps" when nosotros interact with the earth around united states of america that rely on sight, yes, just also smell, touch, and fifty-fifty gustatory modality. Dr. Mehta's study suggests that our mind functions differently in VR environments than in real ones.
There's too the question of Facebook's damaged reputation with both users and lawmakers. Allow'south say Zuckerberg gets the Metaverse upward and running, then delivers on every hope he's fabricated. You could plug into the Metaverse and attempt to alive through your virtual avatars total time… but should you? Should you requite Facebook even more than leverage over your privacy and information than information technology already has? Moreover, should you let that aforementioned company access your biometric data, like your face, your eyes, and your encephalon?
Technology can be incredibly beneficial to us every bit a species, or unfathomably harmful. Which effect we experience largely depends on how responsible or irresponsible we are. If nosotros balance our excursions into virtual reality with healthy amounts of social connexion, exercise, and community evolution in the real world, a concept similar a Metaverse could exist neat. After spending two-plus years indoors, isolated, and forced to deviate from our natural means of life, it should exist evident that virtual, altered, and augmented realities are no substitutes for genuine human connection.
Dystopian sci-fi stories like The Matrix, Neuromancer, and Snow Crash aren't representations of what our future volition be, merely what information technology could be if we fail to make the proper choices when they're needed most. Y'all know what the Metaverse is now, yous know its potential positive and negative effects, and y'all've ever known yourself and your values. To quote the closing lines from the first Matrix motion picture, "where you get from hither is a pick I exit to you."
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Source: https://www.ask.com/culture/what-is-the-metaverse?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740004%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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