In recent years, the concept of the metaverse has gained a lot of attention in popular culture. The metaverse is "supposed" to be a virtual world that is fully immersive and seamlessly integrated with the real world, so far being more like a concept than a finished and polished project. It is supposed to be a place where people can interact with each other, conduct business, and even play games.
Augmented reality and gaming when blended together are also technologies that are rapidly advancing. AR allows users to overlay digital content onto the real world, while gaming provides an immersive and interactive experience. While these technologies have the potential to bring many benefits, some experts argue that they may also be contributing to the decline of modern society.
Why and how is that happening(going to happen)?
One major concern is that the metaverse, AR, and gaming are probably gonna be leading to increasing in social isolation as if social media wasn't enough. As people spend more time in virtual worlds, they may be less likely to interact with others in the real world. This could lead to a decline in social skills, empathy, and overall well-being.
Which kind of makes us less humans if you think about it...
Another concern regarding such a powerful blending of technology is that "these technologies" may become highly addictive. Gaming is already renowned for having such qualities but soon we'll get to taste the metaverse poison as well. People may spend so much time in virtual worlds that they neglect important responsibilities and relationships in the real world. This could lead to a decline in productivity and personal relationships.
I know, automation will do the dirty jobs for us so why not waste our time in the metaverse while bots are earning our ends meat, but... What makes us humans then?
The metaverse can become highly addictive, one reason for that being that it provides a sense of escapism from the problems and stressors of the real world. People may find it easier to cope with difficult situations in a virtual world where they have more control while being also highly engaging and rewarding, packed with features such as gamification and social interaction.
The immersiveness of the metaverse and all that it "may be" can also contribute to a decline in physical health and well-being, as people spend more time sitting and staring at screens, instead of engaging in physical and emotional activity which can contribute quite heavily to a potential dehumanization process.
That doesn't mean we should reject technology. On the contrary, same as Hive has managed to successfully replace Facebook, in my case, so will the metaverse have the potential to provide on many levels but as with social media and almost anything that gets us addicted, over-usage can and will enslave and dehumanize us.
...
We will have to see about that but as with anything having the potential of making us worse than what we are we should put the risks first on the table before we get excited about the benefits...
And it's probably the time I should go to bed, because I really had my share of grey thoughts and conspiracies consuming a lot of mental energy today. Have a great one and see you next time...
Thanks for your attention,
Adrian