Metaverse as dystopia: Can the metaverse encourage society’s collapse?

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• March 21, 2023

While Big Tech firms worldwide may look towards the metaverse as the future global operating system, its implications may need a re-evaluation. Since the concept arises from dystopian science fiction, its inherent negatives, as initially presented, may also influence its implementation.

Metaverse as dystopia context

The metaverse concept, a persistent virtual world in which people can explore, socialize, and purchase assets, has garnered significant attention since 2020, with major technology and gaming companies working to bring this near-future vision to life. However, it is essential to consider the developments that could make the metaverse a potentially harmful and destructive technology. In the genres of science fiction, like the cyberpunk genre, writers have predicted the metaverse for a while. Such works have also considered its effects and the potential advantages and disadvantages. 

Big Tech firms have taken on works, like the novels Snow Crash and Ready Player One, as inspiration for bringing the metaverse into being. Yet, these fictional works also portray the metaverse as a dystopian environment. Such framing inherently influences the direction metaverse development may take and is thus worth examining. One concern is the potential for the metaverse to replace reality and isolate individuals from human interaction. As seen during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on technology for communication and entertainment can decrease face-to-face interactions and an unhealthy disconnection from the physical world. The metaverse could exacerbate this trend, as people may be more inclined to spend their time in a virtual world rather than face often harsh realities. 

Disruptive impact

Perhaps the more severe potential consequence of the metaverse is increasing the already worsening social inequalities, particularly the widening income gap. While the metaverse may offer new opportunities for entertainment and employment, access to this platform may be limited to those who can afford the necessary metaverse technologies and internet connectivity. These requirements could further the digital divide, with marginalized communities and developing nations feeling the brunt of the technology’s limitations. Even in developed countries, 5G deployment (as of 2022) is still primarily concentrated in urban areas and business centers.

Proponents argue that the metaverse could be a new platform for selling digital goods and services and enhancing human interaction through technology. However, there are concerns about the potential for an ad-based business model to create inequalities, as well as increased online harassment, and data privacy and security issues. There are also worries that the metaverse may contribute to misinformation and radicalization, as it could replace individuals’ reality with a distorted one. 

National surveillance isn’t new, but it could be exponentially worse inside the metaverse. Surveillance states and corporations would have access to a wealth of data about individuals’ virtual activities, making it easier to see the content they consume, the ideas they digest, and the worldviews they adopt. For authoritarian states, it would be easy to pinpoint “persons of interest” inside the metaverse or ban apps and sites they deem are eroding the values of the state. Thus, It is important for those involved in metaverse development to address and mitigate these potential negative impacts.

Implications of the metaverse as dystopia

Wider implications of the metaverse as dystopia include:

• The metaverse contributing to mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, as people may become more isolated and disconnected from the real world.
• The immersive and engaging nature of the metaverse leading to an increasing rates of Internet or digital addiction.
• Deteriorating population-scale health metrics due to increased rates of sedentary and isolated lifestyles caused by immersive metaverse usage.
• Nation-states using the metaverse to spread propaganda and disinformation campaigns.
• Companies employing the metaverse to harvest unlimited data for even more targeted advertising that people will no longer be able to identify from regular content.

Questions to consider

• What are the other ways that the metaverse can end up being a dystopia?
• How can governments ensure that the problematic parts of the metaverse are regulated?