Meatverse or Metaverse
Have you ever seen the sci-fi movie Ready Player One or read the book? In the story, a dystopian Earth has been pushed to the brink of collapse by war and poverty, and people find escape in the OASIS: a virtual reality universe. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Ready Player One and the OASIS during Mark Zuckerberg’s presentation at Facebook Connect.
During the presentation, Zuckerberg previewed an upcoming virtual world called the “Metaverse.” To enter the Metaverse, you’ll put on your VR headset or AR glasses — just like in Ready Player One — and immerse yourself in virtual reality. You can communicate with other people, play games, and experience life in a new reality. In one demonstration, Zuckerberg showed himself fencing in the Metaverse with an Olympic gold medal fencer.
As science fiction becomes a reality, some people are skeptical and fearful of the Metaverse. We already spend too much time inside of computers. Whether scrolling through social media or watching our favorite videos on YouTube, we spend countless hours with our eyes glued to screens. When the Metaverse becomes mainstream, will we prefer to live inside a virtual world instead of the “real” world?
Zuckerberg sees the Metaverse becoming mainstream in 5-10 years, and he expects us to work, play and essentially live inside it. While many are fearful of the technology, the possibilities are exciting. Imagine taking trips across the world with your friends and family in virtual reality or playing a massive online multiplayer game where you are literally inside of the game!
The future is here, and it seems to be virtual.
I am not a financial advisor and my comments should never be taken as financial advice. Investments come with risk, so always do your research and analysis beforehand.