3 Reasons Why The Metaverse Won’t Work
By Someone Who Used to Advocate For It
It seems I cant go 2 hours without seeing someone mention the “metaverse”, either in real life or on social media. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of NFTs, Web 3.0, and the Metaverse, but don’t forget to avoid being caught in an echo chamber. While these developments look promising, there are legitimate critiques to all of them, and seemingly an unwillingness to admit to these shortcomings from their supporters. An example of this is “The Great Twitter Feud of December 22nd” featuring Jack Dorsey vs all of Web 3.0. Jack pointed out a few flaws in web 3.0, resulting in…..
Let’s not be like Marc Andreessen and bury our heads in the sand. Let’s take a look at some legitimate flaws in the framework of the Metaverse.
1. Genuine Interaction
Homo Sapiens have evolved for longer than 200,000 years to recognize emotions, physical touch, and genuine interactions with others and respond to it accordingly. Anybody who believes this can be rewired or worked around within a decade is out of their mind. Replacing human biology with technology is not an easy task.
We will not release oxytocin from touch in the metaverse. We will struggle to recognize facial emotions of avatars in the metaverse. In general, we will not nearly be able to replicate the reward system and biological response of physical interaction through technology, and because of this the metaverse will not be an adequate alternative to it anytime soon.
And we can forget one of our favorite past times while hanging out:
alcohol, weed, etc.
To think someone can adequately navigate a virtual environment with controllers and a clunky headset on, while being blacked out drunk, is a completely ridiculous thought.
The Metaverse Will Not Be a Fun Place to Just Hang Out In With Friends.
2. Headset Issues
I think it goes without saying that a giant box balanced on your forehead is not the most efficient of devices. There are ways around this, such as glasses or contacts that could be used, but these inventions are not around yet. Mark Zuckerberg has stated that Meta is actively working on developing better technology to access the Metaverse. He says that a main issue with developing contacts is figuring out how to power it with battery and how to charge them.
This is an issue that needs to be resolved in the future. The present Oculus VR Headsets are not here to stay. They are clunky, uncomfortable, and dangerous to navigate environments while wearing (VR related injuries have skyrocketed with the increase of VR headset sales).
They are also legitimately harmful to users eyes. Researchers at Leeds University found that only 20 minutes exposure to VR could affect the ability of children to discern the distance to objects. If we expect our children to use this technology for long periods of time for things such as hanging out with friends, or online school as a substitute for zoom, this is a very serious concern.
3. Escapism
I am a firm believer that technology should be developed to make the world a better place.
The Metaverse is not making the world better, it is used to escape the world.
I believe that enough of the world shares this attitude that the metaverse will not be as widely adopted as expected. The vision that people will move their lives onto the metaverse is completely unrealistic. It will not make people feel happy or fulfilled. It will feel draining and fake, and is a disgusting alternative to the natural world.
Summary
In contrast with my previous statements, I do believe there is some hope for the metaverse. It would be ridiculous to expect the internet to stay in 2D forever. It will need to make the jump to VR and 3D.
Ultimately, I think it could be great for realistic and interactive video games, small meetings, or maybe things like long distance piano lessons. But it will never be used to play cards with friends, or replace social interaction, or spend all day in. The expectation for the metaverse to replace our natural way of life for most activities is completely unrealistic.
Personally, I see this as a good thing.
