Where is the metaverse? It was going to be the next greatest thing and represented the biggest leap forward since the internet was created. But perhaps it was before its time. Today, all we hear about is artificial intelligence technology, but the term “metaverse” has dropped out of the media lexicon.
And the outlook has been brutal.
Writing for The Telegraph, Ben Marlow said, “Mark Zuckerberg’s one-man journey into the metaverse has been a complete disaster.”
A Yahoo! Finance article’s headline reads: “Mark Zuckerberg’s year of efficiency takes another turn as he joins McDonald’s and Google by laying off thousands in the metaverse.”
Recent Forbes headlines read: “Is the metaverse failing?” and “Are the metaverse and Web3 still relevant?”
One possible reason the metaverse has fallen from public interest, at least for now, is that there are a number of challenges that have yet to be resolved. The public does not yet view the metaverse as a feasible technology unless some of the barriers to its use are removed.
For instance, there are three main challenges facing the metaverse according to this recent Wired article. They include interoperability, hardware, and actual use. The metaverse will need to be able to share content among different technology and providers and unless there is a set standard, users will find it difficult to operate in different systems by different companies.
The hardware is problematic as well since not everyone wants to don cumbersome glasses. Unless a solution is found wherein users can access the metaverse without the need for cumbersome hardware, it will be difficult to convince the masses to use the technology. As an immersive virtual environment, it is necessary of course that the metaverse has an easily accessible “door” to enter it.
The third issue concerns how the metaverse is applicable. Sure, it can be used for gaming and that no doubt serves a terrific purpose for millions of people around the globe. But for the metaverse to take off, it will need to rely on real advertising and a larger market. Businesses, law firms, medical personnel and others will find it difficult and perhaps even disturbing to use such an immersive technology with virtual characters in a virtual world. many serious people out there want reality, real people and the real McCoy.
One idea is for the metaverse to serve the education world. By utilizing virtual reality, schools, colleges, and universities can create a virtual learning environment where students can interact, study, and participate in projects. A school in New York could study French with classmates in Paris, while students in London and Los Angeles could quiz each other in history. Universities could engage in virtual experiments with students from around the world and professors could share information in a virtual environment instead of on a 2D screen.
The idea of using the metaverse first for education is a good one and could essentially change how children in the future learn and study. The metaverse may not be ready for its stage performance just yet, but its time will come and the public will discover it has its merits.