The world was introduced to the metaverse by a hyper-media campaign last fall, a media campaign that continues to this day. The metaverse is pitched as being the next best hope for humans, our new reality. The claim is the metaverse will define our futures, our identity, and our social life. It is where we will live and love, buy goods and realize dreams, and ultimately learn that all is but a simulation – including the “reality” we presently inhabit, an irony not lost on some given the war in Ukraine. But as companies and individuals rush to buy real estate, set up shop, and sell goods – once we get past the hype, in other words – questions remain: what really is the metaverse, what does it portend, and what can those answers teach us about human dignity and living a dignified human existence?
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There will be a point where virtual worlds are so immersive, and convenient, that we won't want to leave, it's about a time when basically immersive digital worlds become the primary way that we live our lives and spend our time.
— Mark Zuckerberg, Meta