Imagine trying to explain the concept of the Internet to someone in, say, 1984. How difficult would it have been to conceptualize a phenomenon like that back then, when one didn’t really know what to do with a computer if it was placed before you? Look at us now—can we imagine life today without the Internet? Well, there is another term nowadays gradually gaining currency—the Metaverse. Ever since Mark Zuckerberg announced last year that he’s changing the name of his company from Facebook to Meta with a new focus—the Metaverse—my interest was piqued. I have since then been following up about this new concept which is bound to redefine our daily lives in a few years down the line, like social media has. It is certainly an exciting prospect, though not without its share of concerns. Let me therefore share my thoughts with you.
The Metaverse is a virtual 3D world that is created artificially. All you’ll need to do is to put on special headsets or glasses while sitting in the comfort of your home to get transported into this world, where you’ll be able to work, meet, game, and socialize with family, friends and associates in these 3D spaces. Except that it won’t be really you; it will be your ‘avatar’—a 3D image or hologram resembling you closely—interacting with the avatars of others. How does that sound? You’ll be able to attend concerts, travel to distant cities and tourist spots, shop for virtual clothes and goods that will exist in these virtual worlds and have a cup of coffee with a friend in another city—all these while sitting at home. Changing the definition of Work from Home, the Metaverse will enable you to enter your 3D office from home and interact with your colleagues’ avatars. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
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How is the Metaverse different from the Internet? Well, the Internet is also a distinct universe, but it is limited to two dimensions. Whether you're using your phone, tablet or laptop nowadays, these are 2D screens. But when Metaverse is talked about, it would be a world where you would be completely in it. In 3D! In Metaverse, you wouldn't be just watching a film as a viewer, you'd experience being in the film. If you’re watching Jurassic Park, for instance, the dinosaurs will actually seem to be breathing down your neck. If you’re watching the IPL, you’d be among the spectators inside the stadium, able to get a 360° view and feel, maybe see the ball hurtling towards you sitting in the stands. Howzzat?
Imagine a day in the future when you’re stuck somewhere far away from your family. How will you stay in touch? No, not voice or video calls—that would be too passé. You’d instead meet 3D images of your family members in Metaverse, where you’d eat, talk or play a game with them in a digital avatar. Actual movements and conversations would take place! This is what Metaverse offers—experience, not just sight & sound. It will give you the sensation of touch too. For that, besides the headsets you may have to wear a special Metaverse suit (or whatever it’s likely to be called) which would be fitted with sensors in various parts of the body. Then in Metaverse if someone touches your shoulder, you'll feel the sensation of a touch on your shoulder. Creepy or exhilarating? I guess that will depend on who touched you. The 'touch' of a loved one missing in a video call can be made up for in Metaverse, though in reality you may be far, far away from each other. Now some of you with romantic inclinations are probably wondering if you can….erm…you know, do that in Metaverse. I don’t know—you’ll have to ask Mark Zuckerberg that.
Once the technology is good enough, the possibilities are as broad as our imaginations. The Metaverse may well replace the Internet in the future.
It is comprised of two words—Meta and Verse. The word Meta is derived from Greek, a prefix that basically means 'beyond'. Verse has been taken from 'Universe.' We live in the Universe and the Metaverse is an artificial world beyond this universe. ‘Multiverse’ is different—you may have come across this term too—it was used in the latest Spiderman film No Way Home. Some scientists believe that there isn't only one universe, but parallel, multiple universes existing—hence Multiverse. But let’s not go there now.
The word 'Metaverse' was first used in 1992 in the sci-fi book Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. In the novel he writes of a dystopian world, a world where real life has been destroyed and the outdoors aren’t liveable for humans anymore. Therefore everyone lives confined to their buildings and rooms, and spends their lives in virtual reality. The writer called this artificial world the Metaverse.
The technology behind Metaverse? Various. The first is Virtual Reality (VR), which already exists today in video games. But to play these VR games nowadays you need to wear heavy headsets, which can cause headaches or motion sickness after some time. Besides, the quality of animation in VR games or videos is still not up to the mark, though the gadgetry is bound to get smaller, better, faster till one day it’ll be like putting on normal spectacles or sunglasses for a VR experience. The second technology is Augmented Reality (AR). This is where some artificial elements are mixed with our real world, not a complete VR. A good example of AR would be the Pokémon Go smartphone game. On it, your device looks at the real world around you, but you can also see the artificial Pokémon characters in there, as if they are a part of the real world.
It is believed that technology will improve to such a level in a few years that Metaverse will have lifelike 3D avatars of humans and animals, as well as streets, buildings, homes, offices and shops for you to roam in. Since tech giants Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Google are all racing to claim the Metaverse, you’d better believe it. These are the giant companies which are shaping our lives today, and our future, whether we like it or not.
However, it should be borne in mind that not all technologies that were touted as breakthrough ones were successful in the past. Quadraphonic sound, Sony Betamax, 3D TV, 3D movies (notwithstanding James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar), Google Glass…..remember these? All these failed because they were a little cumbersome to use. Technology needs to be user friendly, simple to use, affordable and provide a clear benefit to the user. I’m sure the tech giants already know that, and will keep this in mind when designing their own Metaverses.
You’ll be able to shop, do business, invest in property—all kinds of everything!—in Metaverse. The mode of payment cannot be paper money, obviously, because everything is digital; therefore there would be a need for digital currency. This is where Crypto currency comes into play. Financial transactions would be in Blockchain technology, which is extremely secure for all legal & financial activities. You’ll need faster internet too—5G at the least. That is coming, as surely as night follows day.
Now the downside. There are a few aspects of concern. Firstly, the addiction. We’re already seeing glimpses of the long term effects of social media, especially kids—I blogged about it recently—and they’re not comforting. How much more intense will these effects be in the Metaverse? Imagine ‘attending’ a fun birthday party just to realize that you are completely alone once you remove the headset. What if Metaverse becomes so engrossing that you don't want to leave it? Do we really want to distance ourselves from real life so much that we forget how to live our real lives? Hmmm....points to ponder.
Secondly, how much power over us do we want to give these tech giants? The threat to privacy and data theft already looms large. You're tracked on Facebook and Google by all possible means—the content you like, the accounts you follow etc. Based on that, you're shown similar content. In Metaverse, the tracking will be on a bigger scale. Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Tim Cook will know everything about you and may manipulate your perception of reality. If the world starts doing everything in Metaverse, imagine the power in their hands! In fact, Zuckerberg is betting that people will consider the downsides worth the draw of the Metaverse, and he could be right!
Thirdly, what happens to the airline, hospitality and associated industries, when humans do not have to travel anywhere for work or leisure?
Holograms cannot replace human relationships. Sensory experiences cannot replace real emotions. Metaverse cannot become a second life. Right? I sincerely hope so.
Still, it could be fun.
Beetashok Chatterjee is the author of ‘Driftwood’, a collection of stories about Life at Sea and ‘The People Tree’, another collection of stories about ordinary people with extraordinary experiences. A retired merchant ship’s captain by profession, this old sea dog lives in New Delhi with his memories of living more than 40 years on the waves.
His books are available on Amazon. Click here.
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