It sounds like science fiction: Facebook is building a “ Metaverse“, A complex virtual reality. FacebookBoss Mark Zuckerberg (37) goes all out. He immediately announced the project as the “successor to the mobile Internet”. It is only logical that the entire social media group is now called Meta instead of Facebook.
What is Zuckerberg planning to do with us? BILD explains the metaverse.
A parallel universe of virtual reality – the idea of such a cyber world actually comes from a science fiction novel. In 1992 Neal Stephenson wrote in “Snow Crash” about a gloomy world in which people flee from reality into the virtual worlds: into a metaverse. metaverse).
The reactions on the net are devastating
In addition to scorn and ridicule, there are above all warnings. Educators point out that children are much more vulnerable in the virtual world than on Instagram, for example.
Psychologists warn that the metaverse promotes crime and psychosis. Tech experts fear that Facebook wants to bring the Internet of the future under its control.
Probably the most urgent warning comes from VR thought leader Jaron Lanier, who writes about the technology: Metaverse “Could be the worst invention of all time.”
What is this metaverse?
One or the other may still remember “Second Life”, an early virtual reality that started in 2003. There, people could meet digitally, trade with one another and live a second, digital life, so to speak. “Second Life” caused controversy at the time, but also a gigantic hype on the internet. Meta, the umbrella group to which Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram belong, is now striking a similar notch.
In plain language: Meta wants to merge physical reality with the virtual world with the help of modern technology such as virtual reality glasses and augmented reality.
There is no fixed definition of what a metaverse actually is. With Meta, it should be virtual rooms in which you can meet friends and family. The rooms should be persistent, i.e. exist permanently, even if the user is not online. Objects from the real world should be scanned in and brought into the Metaverse. There should also be real property in the virtual world.
The software on which this Metaverse runs has been named Meta “Horizon”. In order to build up this virtual parallel world, 10,000 new jobs are to be created in Europe over the next five years.
Why is Meta (Facebook) doing this?
▶ ︎ Facebook has (had) an image problem.
The social network of the same name remains the largest in the world. But: Young people in particular cannot do much with the social media thick ship, they look for new “playgrounds”.
Most recently, the company made negative headlines. In-house documents showed that too little is being done against disinformation and messages of hatred on the platform, even though the company was aware of them.
The Metaverse could be seen as a kind of lunge of Meta (Facebook): “As long as you can make technology look fresh and cool, you can evade government regulations,” said Joan Donovan, director of the Shorenstein Centers for Media, Politics and Public Order from Harvard University, the Washington Post.
In addition, the group is facing a lawsuit by the US antitrust authorities, which accuses the company of a monopoly position.
▶ ︎ In addition: There is a lot of money in the Metaverse.
How lucrative trading in objects in a virtual world can be is shown by the video games market, whose trading in so-called in-game items is worth millions. As a middleman, Meta could hold a hand here in the future when virtual objects change hands.
▶ ︎ Not to forget: the hunger for data.
Facebook is already a lucrative data collection machine for the meta group. The company could now collect additional user data via its Metaverse, which Meta could then use for targeted advertising.
Mark Zuckerberg believes in the Metaverse as a kind of next evolution of the Internet. So far, 10 billion dollars from Facebook are said to have flowed into the project. With its resources and market power, the company could secure a monopoly position here as well by getting involved in the new technology early.
Facebook presents Metaverse “Zuckerberg just wants to distract from his problems”
Is that a farewell to real life and turn it into a digital one?
No. Mark Zuckerberg’s plans for the Metaverse are ambitious, but far from being implemented. What Facebook has presented so far is nothing more than a glimpse into the company’s plans.
It remains exciting to see how convenient and easy Meta can make immersing yourself in the new virtual world. After all, this requires hardware such as virtual reality glasses. A technology that has been around for years in the video game market, but never really reached the masses.
If Mark Zuckerberg has his way, the Metaverse should already have a billion users by 2030.
Real life will stay with us for a while …