The Metaverse: Part 5
What might be next?
Two obvious things that seem to be pretty absent from a lot of conversations around the metaverse are equity and capitalism. Neither are surprising, but should cause everyone involved serious pause and reflection on their actions and ensure their next steps are intentional and self-aware.
We need to recognize that the digital divide does not exist in a vacuum and that centuries of legal, sanctioned, and de jure policies have created and reinforced an unequal set of opportunities in the United States for BIPOC individuals and communities. The conversation about the metaverse needs to be rooted in conversations around equity and intersectionality, because the idea of the metaverse isn’t going to be an equitable or equal place all on its own. More voices and more experiences need to be shaping this thing. And that means more people need access to the infrastructure and education that provide sound foundations. And while the use of Web3 and distributed networks in the creation and use of the metaverse decentralizes a lot of the systems that historically control people’s digital experiences, if the foundation isn’t created equitably, then the structure on top won’t be either.
The other issue that strikes me is that a lot of folks shaping the metaverse and ultimately the individual and collective experiences within are focused on how to monetize the metaverse. For all its beautiful branding, on Meta’s header is “Shop Meta” with convenient links to headsets and other products. Åt a conference I recently attended on the Metaverse and the City, a number of speakers were from marketing departments and centered conversations on the monetization of the metaverse, NTFs, and other digital things. While this isn’t surprising, or inherently wrong, it feels that building the metaverse to exploit its monetization is a fundamental flaw for the basis of this experience.
The metaverse is an evolving conversation that people need to be having, and not just in the realm of academics, business executives, and tech teams. Stay tuned for more thoughts and online discussions to come.