Have you ever imagined having an avatar of yours that could interact with others just as you do? How exciting would it be to shop on the internet by not just seeing things on screen, but to actually be inside the internet and shop . There is nothing that could make you feel better than physically being there, but with this world being so uncertain in the recent times any small and big experience matter. Am sure many of you feel that these are already kind of possible now through Virtual Reality (VR). Well, you are not wrong, imagine VR on an augmented scale and that’s Metaverse. It is the next big thing and can be described as a space in the internet that you can enter , perform and exit. After Metaverse internet will never be the same. It will no longer be a space that you see on your computer screen.
Metaverse, though is seen as the next big thing on internet, the basic concept is definitely not new to the gaming world. EPIC games like Fortnite and the most popular Roblox have already used something similar to this technology. Roblox is a classic example where the players (are your avatars) share a common server / room , play one of the many games, perform challenges, trade, interact and exit. This game is widely played by kids, youth and sometime their parents too. It is no news that Roblox’s share prices skyrocketed during the pandemic. Kids enjoy their fantasy space, interact with others (safely), trade, perform challenges and exit.This is just a teaser of how augmented reality could be the future.
VR is mainly into gaming these days but tech giants like Facebook are trying to bring this to real world interactions like shopping, social media hangouts and many more.With Mr.Zuckerberg getting a headstart, the billionaires around the world do not want to stay behind if this becomes the future. Mark Zuckerberg is trying to involve Facebook with this technology and firmly believes his social media company is already a metaverse company. Though the idea is just in its nascent stage, Facebook is in serious talks with many VR companies to get this done.
Metaverse redefines connectivity in the internet world and being seamless with the real world.
You are there but not there.
Author’s citation
You just enter the internet world, get your things done and get back to reality. It sounds so simple but is a huge advancement in technology.
As for Augmented reality, there is always a sudden boom followed by a lull period sometimes even a slump. With Metaverse well implemented and accepted, this trend is expected to change.Gaming companies have well exploited this space only because augmenting reality can can never go wrong in their industry ; when it comes to real world it is whole different game.
Metaverse can be the powerful future which can keep business running and people connected during the uncertain times. Many companies still hold this as a vision while Mr. Zuckerberg is definitely one step ahead. As per BBC, the company is planning to hire at least 10,000 employees in European Union to work on metaverse. Having invested heavily in VR through Oculus headsets, Facebook for sure sees this as a serious business. With VR apps being built for office spaces and social hangouts , Facebook is already headed out in the right direction.
It has become appallingly obvious that technology exceeds humanity
Albert Einstein’s quote
Advancement in technology is inevitable . Some times to make life easy, we complicate systems too much and spend the rest of our lives easing those complexities.I hope Metaverse does not become one such complexity.
Every crisis has made human kind strong and humanity prevail. In an effort to connect people well over the internet, people should not be distanced physically.Metaverse as a concept is exciting but there a lot of unanswered questions like safety, privacy , efficiency and many more. With such a big technological advancement many things can go wrong, right from the supporting platforms, bandwidths, usage and many more.
The concept is just at its initial stages and with COVID further accelerating the need for a digital world, every technological advancement counts.This could be the future 10 – 15 years down the lane in making the world well connected. In doing so the companies must ensure they do not create new problems for humanity.
For those of us who think if this even seems plausible, I would like to quote an anecdote from ‘Mahabharata’, the Indian epic. During the Kurukshetra war, Sanjaya (King Dirdhrashtra’s minister) was appointed as the king’s narrator of the events at the war. It is believed that Sanjaya was given divine vision by his guru Veda Vyasa to witness the war and narrate the events. Mahabharata has been the inspiration for many inventions including the nuclear weapon. I see Metaverse as an extension to the divine vision.
With all said and done , metaverse cannot be an overnight game changer. Many companies will have to pitch in to bring this into full fledged reality.Let us wait wait and watch !
Please let me know your views on this technology in the comments section.
The World Around Us 
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