The Metaverse is a new world that has many different possibilities to offer to our world, with benefits on one hand, but there are still some disadvantages to it as well. 

“it’s pretty much an online, virtual reality chatroom where you can talk to and interact with real people just in an augmented reality,” Freshman Gavin Olsowsky said. 

The Metaverse is a concept of a highly immersive virtual world where people can go to play games, socialize with people from all around the world, work, and shop for real world items. 

“With the metaverse, the sky is the limit. A person can be anything they want and do anything, almost anything they want,” Freshman Paola Rodriguez said.  

Technology can have a really big impact on a lot of people, whether it be a good or bad change. Some people dig up their insecurities and try to change themselves from who they are just to be someone like the person who looks perfect in front of their camera.  

“What do I think about the metaverse? I kind of have mixed opinions. I don’t really think (of it as) good or bad. It’s mainly just wondering what it could turn you into,” Olsowsky said. 

Most people think of the metaverse as just where or what you become a part of when you put on a VR (virtual reality) headset to play 3D games, but the Metaverse can be presented in so many more ways than people know. So much so that you could be reverting to it a lot more often than you would think. 

“Broadly speaking, the technologies that make up the metaverse can include virtual reality—characterized by persistent virtual world that continue to exist even when you’re not playing—as well as augmented reality that combines aspects of the digital and physical worlds. However, it does not require that those spaces be exclusive via VR or AR. A virtual world, like aspects of Fortnite that can be accessed through PCs, game consoles, and even phones, could be metaversal,” WIRED, “What is the Metaverse, exactly?”. 

Living in a world where you can do anything you want without the worry of messing up, getting hurt, or even your idea backfiring can open so many possibilities for real world benefit. Citizens of the metaverse can open businesses, play games, go to theme parks without the usual safety restrictions, watch movies from the comfort of their own homes and so much more. 

“Further, there are new business opportunities to be explored when you defy the laws of physical reality. For example, data presentations do not have to be limited to a 2D slideshow – you can actually model data in 3D and interact with your hands.” xrtoday.com, “How will Business trade in the metaverse?”.  

     Problems with modern technology 

While the metaverse has its fair share of benefits and extraordinary abilities, it also brings with it its own flaws that could cause bigger complications in the future to come. 

The metaverse is more than games and television. It can open businesses, schools, opportunities, relationships and more. There is a lot of good that comes with it but the bad can take a sharp turn. 

“For me, some of the pros are that it is a great place to connect with people and a place where people can learn a lot of things, they wouldn’t have been able to learn without social media. There is also the fact that people have been able to make careers for themselves that would never have been possible without the metaverse,” Rodriguez said.  

There are a lot of people online who make it their responsibility to hurt other people’s feelings and to make them feel like they are not enough. These are the people who make it hard to savor the joys that the Metaverse can achieve. 

“For major problems, I would honestly think about cyber predators and cyber bullying just because, like any online chat room, just because it could be toxic or meet people down the wrong path,” Olsowsky said. 

While there might be some things people would be ok with sharing with other users, something someone does not want anyone to know could easily slip through the internet. This could create even bigger problems among people and even friends.  

“In its current form, the internet relies on data collection that some critics liken to mass surveillance. Technology companies and researchers are beginning to wonder whether the metaverse will be any different,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Come the Metaverse, Can Privacy Exist?”. 

While we look for the good in most things, like everything, the metaverse has its limits and disabilities. These disabilities can vary from as small of a problem as low internet access or spending too much time online, or as serious as lying, abandoning responsibility, and fighting on popularity developing. 

“For me that (the cons) would be about how social media has taken a great toll on adolescence and their mental health. This is because of the unrealistic expectations that social media can often portray,” Rodriguez said. 

The metaverse can do more than just affect our evenings, it can help bring out whole generation up a level or two or tear it all down. Even to such a place where this generation may not come back from. 

“The metaverse has affected our generation so much that it is hard to say whether it is good or bad. It depends on who one might talk about what one will hear about the metaverse. One side will say how because of it we have more access to information than ever before and might become one of the most educated generations ever. While one end, some will say that our social interactions and our social skills have suffered a great hit because of the metaverse, seeing as some people have more friends online than in real life. Now in my opinion, I think that it can be a good thing as long as people have good intentions on what they want to do on social media/the metaverse. I know that not everyone will but as long as a good amount does the fact that the metaverse is a good thing,” Rodriguez said. 

 Why Does Mankind Participate? 

There may be many reasons one man would use as an excuse to take part in this new world. One reason they find that they get the recognition they desire through games and/or achievements. Some might also use it as an opportunity to change their image from the point of view of other users. 

When you think of technology, you might think of entertainment (videogames, television, communication, etc.), but technology and the metaverse have many more useful purposes than that.  

“Technology helps you organize your life and work better, allows you to access information the moment you need it, helps you buy and sell stuff easier, enables you to find the best price for the items you need. Time is money, let’s not forget that!” Lifestyle,.allwomenstalk.com; 7 reasons to love technology. 

Technology can even help bring people together without even needing to see them face to face, especially nowadays, when student parents want their kids inside and safe from human contact. Metaverse alternatives, such as Teams, Zoom, messages, FaceTime, Snapchat stories, Facebook live, etc., these are all easier, quicker ways people can seek the human interaction they require without leaving their own home.  

“Imagine having to write a letter to your friend, wait like a month for it to arrive, then another month to get a reply! Ugh! Now imagine having to go through all that even if you don’t enjoy reading or writing! And there you are wondering why to love technology! Enough said! Think about it the next time you grab your phone and take time to notice how much easier it is for us now to stay connected with friends and family, even if they live on a different side of the globe,” Lifestyle.allwomentalk.com stated. 

Sometimes, you just go to lay down with your phone to watch a movie or listen to a book, or to text your friends a funny video. Without all the social media platforms, school drama, or stresses in life, people just like to use technology for the simplicity and entertainment it provides.  

“I personally don’t think it could open up much for our school, but for a generation as a whole, it could open up a lot of new friendships between different kids and even different adults,” Olsowsky said.