The term “metaverse” is ominous and a little vague. It includes the conceptualization of so many elements of new tech that it’s hard for the average person to explain in words what it is, let alone understand the complexities of it. It’s also difficult to grasp what the metaverse tells us about what’s to come from tech in the future- since it doesn’t actually exist yet.
There has been talk about how the Metaverse will effect everything from how we view social media to how we buy things. But how do consumers really feel about the metaverse? Meta conducted a survey of 30,000 consumers globally to find out how they feel about new tech, including the metaverse.
According to Meta, “[We] found that today’s shoppers are interested in next-level experiences with brands. Whether it’s exploring a product through immersive technology, or making sure their avatars are every bit as stylish as they are in the physical world, shoppers want a greater sense of connection and inspiration with the brands they engage with.”
Meta also says that “28% of people are using, or have used AR while shopping, while 42% imagine that AR can improve the shopping experience by bridging the gap between online and the physical store.”
It’s no question that this new virtual realm will have a huge impact on how people utilize online shopping. But beyond this, what will we see from the metaverse as a whole? This answer is unclear at the moment.
What is clear is that Meta continues to promote its vision of the metaverse. AR, VR and Web3 are all new developments in big tech but it’s important to note that they are all separate and not exclusive to Meta. It is likely that you’ll eventually be able to combine aspects of each, but it’s unclear what is included in the umbrella term of ‘the metaverse’ and which ones will be exclusive to the use of Meta subscribers.
It’s also no secret that Meta has gone all-in on the metaverse concept- Meta wants to lead the way in creating the metaverse space and beat out the competition that may be working on similar concepts.
Remember that the term ‘metaverse’ is often a synonym with the term ‘technology’. Keeping the terms separate will help interpreting what concepts Meta owns entirely and which concepts are open to all big tech companies.
