A metaverse fever has broken out on the internet after Mark Zuckerberg revealed the Facebook rebranding to “Meta” and his company’s aim to join into this new era of “meta-technology.” We are witnessing disputes over how the metaverse will affect the internet, the competitiveness among tech titans surrounding the metaverse, and other components with a similar nature. Is it true that the metaverse will eventually replace the internet? The answer will be revealed in this article.
What is Metaverse?
The most frequent conception of the metaverse’s appearance is derived from science fiction novels and films. The metaverse is often depicted as a digital, “walk-in” Internet world in films and shows like Ready Player One, The Matrix, and Altered Carbon. The virtual world is often compared to a theme park.
The Metaverse is likely to include this type of experience, but it’s only a small part of what’s possible. You can forget about playing video games in the Metaverse. As the real world goes on endlessly, there will be no reset, halt, or end for it. The parallel digital universe will be synchronized with ours, and its “users” will have no upper limit.
The Metaverse concept reminds me of Second Life in many ways. Second Life is a virtual world where you may create your own alternate reality for those who have never heard of it. However, the Metaverse will breathe new life into Second Life. This virtual world will also have its own money and economy, similar to that found in Second Life. As a result, the experience will be accessible to everyone, regardless of their location. The existing Internet lacks interoperability in this new system.
“Today’s Internet will be replaced by a more advanced version of the metaverse.”
Will The Metaverse Overtake The Web?
The metaverse is unquestionably fascinating and terrifying at the same time, especially in light of the enormous number of individuals who use the internet regularly. Because of this, you don’t have to be concerned, because instead of becoming a replacement for the internet, it will simply serve as an extension of it.
Technologically, the metaverse sits atop the internet’s foundation of blockchain technology. As a result, we wouldn’t be able to construct a viable metaverse economy without the blockchain, which enables us to prove the development of assets and other things.
However widely used social media is, I’m sure in stating it will never totally replace the internet, just as the metaverse is unlikely to do. Having said that, the metaverse has the potential to fundamentally alter the way we interact with the internet.
The Metaverse’s Future
The NFT technology and metaverse will be the most significant development to date in terms of internet innovation. We are all aware of the enormous impact that social media has had on the world. Imagine social media, but in a virtual world where users may buy, sell, own, and even build their own avatars and digital assets.
We will interact with digital representations of products, people, and events instead of reading and watching them on a screen. You can use an avatar instead of a social network profile to save your information and your online reputation.
The transparency of Web3 means that your character will follow you wherever you go in the metaverse, just as it does in the real world. That means that we can explore new platforms while maintaining our brand’s integrity. Even if it scares you, this is where we’re headed.
Thanks to the metaverse’s basic notions, our economy is destined to undergo a major transformation. The metaverse will significantly impact a wide range of industries, including retail, entertainment, manufacturing, medical, education, and even travel.
For example, we will be able to use our avatar to try on garments in a virtual setting rather than selecting them based on an image. There’s also an NFT, a digital version of the physical goods you possess, that comes with your purchase.
The non-fungible token (NFT) not only serves as evidence that you made a purchase, but it also accrues value in the metaverse over time. This value, in turn, can be exchanged for fiat currency via NFT marketplaces. Several companies, such as Nike, have already begun investigating this idea. The introduction of Nikeland by Nike is a virtual store that has been developed within the Roblox game. This store gives you the ability to buy virtual items that has been created by Nike, which you can then put on your avatar.
The majority of people think this is ridiculous, but I believe it’s brilliant. This is the same reason why anyone would want to wear Nike merch in their social media avatars; it is an opportunity to show off their style.
Will Metaverse Improve Internet?
There is no reason to believe that the metaverse will improve the internet in any meaningful way. Rather than a major upgrade to the functionality of the internet, the metaverse serves as an additional benefit.
That doesn’t mean that the metaverse won’t have a significant impact on internet users. Even while it was exhilarating, the internet lacked the potential to satisfy many of its users’ desires to interact with others and share their thoughts before the advent of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. By the time Web 2.0 had reached its full potential, it had transformed the internet as we know it.
To this day, many people have found ways to profit from Web 2.0, whether it’s for their own gain or to broaden the scope of their existing businesses both online and off. The metaverse is likely to perform the same way as social media, but to an even greater extent.
You can’t ignore the reality that the internet is continually evolving and will keep evolving till the end of time. The metaverse will be a big component of this growth. Even if it takes more time for the general public to grasp the significance of what’s going on and the enormous potential that the metaverse holds for internet users, that’s fine with me.
Final Thoughts
Metaverse is a game-changer, allowing us to experience a virtual world that we can only dream about now. Although it will not completely replace the internet, the way we use and access the network will alter or be enhanced as a result of this technology. So, we’ll have to wait a few more years before we get to see some real-world metaverses.