Comment on Mark Zuckerberg's 'metaverse' business lost more than $10 billion last year, and the losses keep growing

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morrowind@lemmy.ml ⁨2⁩ ⁨years⁩ ago

While I don't think the metaverse is a good idea, it's too early to judge it's success. It has incredible potential. When you look at what an immersive virtual world could offer you, ideas of hardware getting in the way seem like paltry excuses.

I mean, can you imagine the desire, of being able to leave behind your real world, your dirty, exhausting, imperfect real world, where you are weak and ugly and unsuccessful and going to a virtual world where you can experience whatever you want?

No, it's not real and won't be able to convince you it is for another fifty years or so, and yes, the hidden downsides will soon be found to be worse than social media, likely worse than addictions to drugs and mental illnesses, but it won't matter, none of it will matter, because the pull is too strong. If the metaverse becomes entirely a thing, people will throw away their lives for it, and we will all likely hate it and want it.

To judge a potential future metaverse by looking at half life is like judging modern smartphones by looking at brick phones from thirty years. Half life is very primitive version of what could be.

I am dramatizing here, and looking quite far into the future through science fiction lens, but then, that's always been the thing about the metaverse, hasn't it? Tech oligopolies bringing into reality what dystopian science fiction books warned against, not held up as an ideal. But there's money, and that's all that matters.

If you want more practical examples, just look at what Zuckerberg showed off, meeting with people. We all know the incredible convenience of being able to video call someone, to sit in the comfort of our home yet see and talk to them. Now take that to entirely new level, where you can sit in your home, and yet be with someone else in almost every sense. That is convenience.

It may seem like a silly idea, but silly ideas do not convince all the biggest companies to invest billions. There's money to be made, and that's all that matters.

::: spoiler whew I'm in quite the inspired mood right now :::

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