Now the word Metaverse has become a main theme of discussion among the IT as well as other professional groups. Digital giants such as micro soft and Apple are thinking of metaverse, FB is one step ahead, has changed the name from Facebook to meta hinting at its next target. What these people are up to? Why such a fuss is made for metaverse?

To understand, we have to understand what a Metaverse really is. It is just like our universe, created virtually by humans. Those who are familiar with virtual games, might be knowing what virtuality means. For those who don’t venture into these, let me try and explain the concept of virtuality.

In our ancient scriptures, the word Maya is used frequently. We can use the same word to describe virtuality. A virtual or maya world is created using software supported by hardware. When these were watched with proper gear and apparatus, it gives the user an illusion of being transported to that world magically. For the virtual creation, sky is the limit for creativity. One can see a black sea down the Himalayas, can feed a unicorn, can stab your enemy, make love on the roads. In short one can do whatever they could not do due to socio economical protocol.

Any company can create their own world as per their desire, where Europe is hot and India is a snow-covered region. One can own an entire country, one can buy lands next to parliament buildings, one can construct a shopping mall amidst Sahara Desert and so on. It completely depends on the creativity, cruelty, vulgarity and mental state of the person or persons creating the metaverse.

All those IT giants are planning to market their Metaverse. (Land, shopping mall, small countries, Moon, Sun whatever the buyer wishes) The next question is, how could one buy a property in a metaverse even though it is virtual? The answer is the main key to all problems. Only using a crypto currency one could buy or sell the property in a metaverse. Again another virtual thing.

After knowing the outline of these metaverse business, the questions before us are as follows,

• Whether India will permit crypto currency?
• Whether is it safe to have a virtual world where any one could do anything?
• Whether Metaverse is the future?

But above all these questions, a real concern still remains unanswered. Whether it is safe for the psychology of the human mind?

As far as virtual games are concerned, we Indians like most practical citizens, still have a reservation. The psychiatrist’s opinion varies on this issue. As human mind is a complicated and difficult thing to understand. Whether metaverse is suitable for our psychology? This decision completely depends on the person him/herself. This is highly risky as most of us don’t know how to decide what is good for our mind and psychology. Many pseudo and false advertisements might pop up, just to make a metaverse popular.

The next concern is socializing. If you start using a metaverse, practically we will be living in that. Secluded, immersed in the magic of maya, not leaving our room. Already relationships are taking a back seat in this electronic media. If individuals start living in a maya world, then the real human values, love, relationships everything might start slowly vanishing. Is it good? After all man is a social animal. Even after evolution, we need to live in a society for sense of belongingness, security and many other reasons.

From what age one should get exposure to metaverse? That again depends on the individual. No matter when, metaverse will have a deep impact and effect on the psychology of every human. Imagine a metaverse, where murder is legal! If you have grudges on any person, you can murder that person, no prosecution nothing. Are these kinds of manifestations good for the society?

In India crime against women is growing day by day. Imagine a situation. You can do whatever you want with a girl you have just bought or created In a metaverse. All those subdued cruelty, vulgarity, crooked thinking could be put to action. What happens if at a point of time, the person who is living in a metaverse could not differentiate between a metaverse and a real world? What will happen if he starts torturing women in the real world? In that case metaverse does not look like a factory producing dangerous psychopaths?

Globally most of the business people are not bothered about the society or the mental health of the people. Any technology could be put to use for the unimaginable cruelty too! Whoever creates the metaverse, will they have a healthy society in mind? I mean the real society, not the virtual one.

Now we will move onto the economical implications of metaverse. Only a crypto currency could be used in any metaverse created by any company. Say Company X has created a metaverse called Mayaprithvi, and floats a crypto currency called Maya. Depending on the usage and demand, they can price it to any amount of money in the real world. They can make one Maya is equal to even Rs1000.

Many people are mad enough to invest in that. After all we have seen people booking tickets for going to mars. Who decides the value? Who owns the virtual world’s virtual real estate? How the buying is going to be useful for the buyer? Doesn’t that sound speculative?

Shall we say, all these IT giants are going to create a big world of speculation and gambling? Is this good? Is this business ethics?

Of course, India has not approved any crypto currency, not yet. But what would happen due to the pressure, RBI succumbs and allows crypto currencies? Metaverse would have a huge fortune in India, as we want easy and quick money. In reality we will be making the company richer and richer.

For a metaverse, what is the control point for economic and social behavior? Already Cyber crime is increasing in an alarming rate! At this juncture, do we need another type of crime called Meta crime introduced in our society? Cyber space is only 2D. And yet we are not able to provide a control point. Metaverse are designed in 3D. So naturally, the crimes and cruelty may be 3 times more. It is users beware always. But can we afford it? What if a 10-year-old kid uses the metaverse? What sort of guidance they are going to give to him/her? What sort of filter they are going to provide? Is there any means of finding out the real identity of the person? Many such questions are still un answered.

The companies might argue about giving the statutory warning, and notifying people, creating jobs for coding and designing professionals. If you calculate the proportion of affected Vs benefited, 1:25 will be the figure. That is if one person gets job due to metaverse, then 25 people will get affected either mentally or financially by that.

We always have a mentality, “It will not affect me”. But in case of metaverse, it is definitely going to affect us sooner or later. Let us all be beware and aware of the consequences and be ready to tackle it. I am not against advancement in technology. But those advancements should benefit the mankind. Not destroy it. Just imagine a world where every one is living in their own metaverse. Every one confined to their own chairs and the 3D gears, without even taking notice of the other members of the family. The entire human race may be at threat. Please think and spread the awareness about metaverse. We don’t need Metaverse, even it gives us a virtual heaven. Remember, its only virtual. Nothing is real in Metaverse. 

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