How the Metaverse Could Affect Mental Health

The impact of tech on mental health is a field of study that is still in its infancy. Things like television, tablets, phones, and computers have begun to reveal both positive and negative influences that technology can have on a person’s state of mind.

However, there’s one new development that has the potential to accelerate our understanding of this critical relationship: the metaverse. How will a digital world impact the mental health of those who dwell within it for extended periods of time?

Potential Mental Health Challenges of the Metaverse

Tech has become a bit of a boogeyman when it comes to mental health. Consumers tend to label any kind of technology used in any quantity as a mental health hazard — and with good reason, too.

Tech usage has been linked to things like internet addiction and mental illness. Youth and adolescents are particularly at risk as they grow up in a world saturated with screens and software.

The data may not exist in sufficient quantities to paint a clear picture yet. But there is plenty of cause for concern.

This concern has already been on the collective radar of consumers for decades. However, the thought of engaging in a fully-immersive experience on a regular basis via the metaverse has taken things to a whole new level.

Phil Reed D.Phil., a professor of psychology at Swansea University, points out several of the most obvious ways that a metaverse environment could negatively impact users.

“Overuse of digital technology is associated with many mental health issues, such as somatic symptoms (6%), depression (4%), psychoticism (0.5%), paranoid ideation (0.5%), and serious mental illness (2%),” says Reed.

Right before listing these already significant areas of potential trouble, Reed points out one mental health concern that is more important than all the rest, “The most striking potential impact of engaging in virtual interactions concerns psychoses—especially those involving delusions and/or hallucinations.”

It isn’t difficult to see the connection here. The metaverse could be a terrifyingly powerful creative force for those struggling with mental instability through delusions or full-blown hallucinations.

The imaginative fodder of using avatars and having proxy interactions with other humans and computer-generated characters could make it harder than ever to remain grounded in reality.

While these are genuine concerns, there is a brighter side to the picture. In fact, there are several ways that technology (and, by extension, the metaverse) could be a net positive for those who use it.

Potential Mental Health Blessings of the Metaverse

A more fair analysis of the unfolding situation of tech’s impact on mental health reveals that it also has its positive sides.

For instance, the ability to connect and interact online has helped some who struggle with anxiety and depression.

Back in May 2017, researchers released a study of 151 young adults who answered surveys three times a day for a month regarding their digital tech usage.

Some of the results reinforced the negative aspect of tech on mental health. For instance, some participants showed increased conduct and behavioral issues potentially connected to greater device usage.

However, the study also revealed that those suffering from anxiety and depression might be able to curb their symptoms through things like interacting with peers through texting. This avoids common adolescent concerns, such as excessive isolation.

Candice Odgers, a professor at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy, was a senior authority on the study. According to Odgers, this positive revelation “makes sense when you think about how kids are commonly using devices to connect with their peers and social networks.”

Even in the midst of making his case for the negative potential of the metaverse (as highlighted in the previous section), Phil Reed points out that there are cases when those who experience delusions have benefited from virtual interactions — even if he does clarify that this always takes place in controlled clinical trials.

The metaverse would not be the equivalent of a controlled space. Nevertheless, there clearly is the possibility that those who use it could avoid things like isolation and depression through digitally-driven social interactions.

Just Scratching the Surface

From anti-depressants to dangerous delusions, there are plenty of mental-health-related potential pros and cons that can come with the metaverse. For the most part, these are factors that remain to be seen.

Even so, it behooves anyone involved in the burgeoning digital reality of the metaverse (either as a developer or a user) to take the responsibility for its impact on mental health seriously.

In an interview with The Metaverse Insider, Jeff Wong, Global Chief Innovation Officer at the professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY), hits the nail on the head regarding the delicate balance required to navigate the mental health aspects of the metaverse.

Wong starts by highlighting the positive potential of the metaverse, not as a replacement for traditional interactions but rather as a supplement to them with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The CIO adds the wise caveat, “From the risks or challenges perspective, I think we’re always trying to be thoughtful of the mental health perspective of the immersion; there’s still something positive about being able to physically be in the same room. We want to make sure that if there are negative consequences, that we’re very sensitive to that.”

It’s a perspective worth adopting for anyone involved in the development or early use of the nascent field of the tech world. The metaverse has incredible potential.

However, if individuals are going to stay safe and healthy while using the innovative tech space, they must remain sensitive to the possible negative repercussions that it could have on mental health and remain ready to take action if and when they take place.