The Metaverse Is Dumb

First things first, there is no “Metaverse”. It feels like there exists a giant misconception that there is one singular space in which a virtual reality world exists, dubbed the “Metaverse”. Upon Meta’s magnificent rebranding, the term Metaverse has been thrown across virtually (no pun intended) every major media outlet. Unlike the “Internet” there exists a multitude of virtual reality worlds provided by different entities.

For example, Meta’s Horizon Worlds, Microsoft’s Mesh and Second Life, which has seemingly been in existence in perpetuity, (shoutout Dwight Schrute who even went as far as to make a Second Life 2 in the Office) are all separate virtual worlds in which users can experience, albeit they’re all separate.

Therein the Metaverse frenzy lies Decentraland, a “3D virtual world browser-based platform.” In Decentraland, you can buy virtual plots of lands as NFT’s using their very own currency, MANA, which operates on the Ethereum blockchain. You can also navigate the world with your little character and trade items such as hats and shirts. The only real “cool” (if you wanna even call it that) aspect about Decentraland is that you can import 3D models using an external software source into the world and develop it. Only slightly cool, but still mostly incredibly lame.

The push into a virtual world was arguably accentuated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is accentuating a world of socially inept basement dwellers (hyperbole, but you get the point). We’ve just created a fake world for users to spend fake money for a fake experience. It’s really that simple. Gone are the days of tangibility. I suggest everyone to go out and touch some grass. WAKE UP.