Have you heard of the Anime “Sword Art Online”? Where people put on VR headsets and their consciousness gets teleported to a virtual world, become a completely new character, clear levels, meet and interact with many others, build relationships and more. It seemed like a sci-fi anime back in the past, but this fiction might indeed become a reality sooner or later.
As of today, we interact with people far away via text, phone calls and video calls. There are times when all of your loved ones get together, you couldn’t be physically present with them but connect with them through a video call. And many a time when they are experiencing and enjoying the moment, you’re watching them from a mobile or laptop screen and feel a bit left out. In this pandemic-struck situation, companies are recruiting online and working remotely with people they haven’t even met in person. Business plans and project modules are discussed through audio or video calls in Teams or Zoom and there are times when employees find it difficult to convey their opinions and ideas as they are speaking to a set of Alphabets or profile pictures and if they’re presenting, it’s just them and their screen.
But what if these people, who need to attend an event or have a discussion are put in a virtual space where they could see, listen, use gestures and interact with one another? Now that is more than just a video call. People will be able to communicate and express themselves more as everyone in that space will be experiencing things digitally. This is the very essence of METAVERSE- A technology-based Augmented Reality space where people use virtual avatars to live, work, shop, play and do more online, a possible successor of the internet.
Metaverse is not entirely a new concept as video games like Roblox, Fortnite, etc have their own virtual characters, storyline, economy and more. Metaverse is not just a video game, but a cyberspace that has the potential to become a parallel to real life. This is no more a design Project of a few Techies. Big Techs are already racing to claim this future. Tech Giant, Facebook has renamed itself as ‘Meta’ to prove itself as a frontrunner. Microsoft, Apple, Google, Disney, Nike, and many other companies are also working towards their own innovative Augmented Reality Spaces.
The concept of Metaverse has not just enchanted the Big Corporates, but Governments are also preparing to embrace the virtual world. Evident examples include nations like Barbados which plans to set up an embassy for the Metaverse and the South Korean government encouraging public-private partnerships to advance in developing a Metaverse platform.
The existence of a Multiverse or Multiple Universe is still a question or a debatable topic for many of us. But Multiple Metaverse or Multiple Digital Universe is plausible as the Metaverse itself is created by Man. In accordance with the creator’s imagination, he/ she can create a number of variants of Virtual Worlds.
Living in a world where nearly 3 cybercrimes take place every minute, a sensible question that might arise is if the creators can assure that the Metaverse is safe and can be regulated, especially for children, and the answer to which is still uncertain. While the world is preparing to take a leap into the digital future, let’s keep the human elements of our lives in check and hope Metaverse, like every other amazing technology could change the world for the better and do not overstep its essence and purpose.
Also Check out: “Time Travel: Are Paradoxes A Contradiction To Logical Possibilities?“
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