How the metaverse could change you | Sex, misinformation, control

Here are some of the worst dangers that come with the metaverse.

The introduction of a virtual reality space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users sounds like an ideal possibility.

That’s exactly what the metaverse is.

A space where developers can grow their skills, creatives can sharpen their creative juices and users can find pretty much anything.

From shopping, fitness to productivity, the metaverse sounds like an ideal possibility which Meta, holding company for Facebook seems to largely support.

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg who this week introduced Meta’s Quest Pro, a new virtual reality headset which comes at a hefty price of $1 499,99, is desperately trying to get the metaverse to work.

The CEO is constantly making the metaverse something people want to use.

While the platform may look interesting on the outside, small hiccups tend to show some of the negative impacts the fun use of the platform comes with.

Augmented reality pioneer @LouisBRosenberg broke down the dangers of the Metaverse. pic.twitter.com/Z40t05fBZ3

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) October 12, 2022

Side effects

A report on November 26 details how a user was sexually assaulted on the platform. Meta’s review found that the user, a beta tester should have used a tool called “Safe Zone.”

This incident although remedied in it’s own way highlights how the platform may be exposed to new forms of crime.

Sexual offences and explicit content

Any online platform creates policies that may in the best instances remedy any potential incident.

The use of virtual moderators to ensure virtual reality spaces remain safe could prove insufficient should numbers of users increase in augmented reality spaces.

It remains a challenge to police minor’s who have successfully made their way into the metaverse.

Harmful content and explicit content currently plague the net with many websites occupying a huge portion of online subscriptions.

As the metaverse develops so do most sex dominated sites.

While Meta plans to open up it’s social media platform Horizon Worlds to mobile and desktop users, so people without a headset will have access to the virtual world, this may open up an array of other challenges.

Privacy and data collection

While privacy and data collection remain as a constant discussion in social media platform policies, the collection of data remains a double edged sword discussion.

If systems are collecting data, where is this data going and to which end.

Platform providers could be in a position to pull very important strings – with the right data on their hands.

Collecting user preferences means platform providers could track and socially understand your personality, heartrate, including fitness level.

This would allow providers insight into user personality in order to better market content, products and services based on the lifestyle information.

Meta’s Quest Pro already comes with inward facing sensors which record facial expressions including eye tracking.

This if done right provides some of the most valuable and intricate studies about the users interests and reactions to those interests.

Increased aggression and disassociation from reality

Video games and online gaming services have constantly faced challenges of sighted aggression.

An indication of traits, which some users deem acceptable due the fact that no one was really experiencing any physical harm.

In a constant metaverse reality, users may suffer from aggression including a massive disassociation from reality complex.

This can be followed by addictive behaviors, and or withdrawal symptoms when disconnected.

Some other issues could be harassment and cyberbullying, theft of identities, increased mental health issues, collections of unauthorized data, polarizing of different groups and circulation of misinformation.

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Featured image: ZoeKleinman/Twitter