META- the future of Facebook
The future of the internet is going to be virtual and Meta, Zuckerberg called the metaverse the “next generation of the internet” one that he said will create “entirely new experiences and economic opportunities.”
What is the metaverse?
Coined in the 1992 science fiction novel “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson, the “Metaverse” is a tech concept that describes a network of augmented and virtual reality hubs accessed on smartphones and with visors. Instead of loading an app or website, users strap on a visor to interact in virtual environments.
The metaverse is where the physical and digital worlds come together. It is a space where digital representations of people, avatars interact at work and play, meeting in their office, going to concerts and even trying on clothes. The metaverse will feel like a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world. It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together, and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world. It’s the next evolution in a long line of social technologies.
The Future
Think of it as the internet brought to life, or at least rendered in 3D, it will be described as a virtual environment, you can go inside of instead of just looking at it on a screen. Essentially, it’s a world of endless, interconnected virtual communities where people can meet, work, and play, using virtual reality headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps, or other devices.
Parents can share videos of their kids with family members and feel as though they are in the same room. Meetings with colleagues who are thousands of miles away will have the same impact. Attending a concert with a friend could mean two people sitting on their couch at home but feeling as though they are in a venue with thousands of others. Tools that allow creators to connect various physical locations into augmented reality experiences for virtual tours.
“While Facebook isn’t the first company to explore the metaverse, the future is still open for exploration. Zuckerberg referenced concepts as bold as virtual objects appearing holographically in a physical space, users playing basketball with people on the opposite side of the world in a shared virtual space, and the ability to appear virtually at a concert that your friend is attending IRL. However, the most important element, according to Zuckerberg, is “the feeling of presence,” and creating the sense of connection it feels like many of us lost over the past few years of the pandemic.
Education, fitness, entertainment, work, and quality time with friends are all potential uses of the metaverse.
