As 2023 Begins, Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse Doomed to Fail?
By Movieguide® Staff
In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company, previously called Facebook, would be rebranded as Meta.
The larger parent company would encompass the popular social media platform, as well as Whatsapp, Instagram, and Oculus, with the goal “to bring the metaverse to life.”
However, as 2023 begins it appears that Zukcerberg’s high-hopes for the Metaverse have flopped.
According to CCS Insight, global shipments of all virtual and augmented reality devices dropped 12 percent in 2022, while Meta’s own devices fell by two percent in the US.
CCS Insight also predicted a slow year for VR in 2023.
Despite some software bugs, which left Metaverse avatars with no legs, CNN’s Allison Morrow says the idea has a bigger problem to solve.
“It just doesn’t look cool,” Morrow wrote. “And Zuck doesn’t seem cool. And Facebook hasn’t been cool since 2009. And that’s a really big problem.”
As Apple presents plans for its own strategy for a VR and AR world, Zuckerberg’s vision for the Metaverse seems doomed to fail.
“With its hugely loyal fanbase, many of whom are comfortable with spending large amounts of money on technology, if Apple was to launch a headset we expect that it would perform very well,” Leo Gebbie, an analyst at CSS Insight said. “If one company has the ability to transform the VR market overnight, it’s Apple.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
Popular online platforms like Facebook and Roblox are convinced that the metaverse is the future for virtual reality and online interaction. However, psychologists warn that these technological advancements could have harmful side effects.
After the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified in court, it became undisputed that social media contributes to online bullying, especially amongst its youngest users. Psychologists note that this problem could increase with the metaverse. The metaverse is a virtual reality concept where people spend their time interacting online. The company that owns Facebook recently changed its name to Meta to highlight its dedication to the concept.
“There’s a potency about being immersed in a world that is different than observing and interacting…through a flat screen monitor,” Albert Rizzo, a psychologist who serves as the director for medical virtual reality at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, said. “Once you’re actually embodied in a space, even though you can’t be physically touched, we can be exposed to things that take on a level of realism that could be psychologically assaulting.”
Mitch Prinstein, a clinical psychologist who serves as chief science officer for the American Psychological Association, added: “This is just an exacerbation of the problems that we’ve already started to see with the effects of social media. This is creating more loneliness. This is creating far more body image concerns [and] exposure to dangerous content that’s related to suicidality.”
While many companies have put policies in place to prohibit graphic content and forms of harassment on their platforms, experts fear a lack of accountability remains.
“Virtual reality really does need a lot of safety built in from the start, because you can’t search [the metaverse] for hate or sexual abuse,” Center for Countering Digital Hate CEO Imran Ahmed said. “You can’t. It happens in an instant [and] there’s nothing you can do.”
“I think parents will be asking themselves: Do I feel safe knowing that Mark Zuckerberg is the guy in charge of deciding who influences my children, who might be able to bully them, and whether or not they’re safe in cyberspace?” he continued.
Ahmed explained that tech companies are unwilling to pay for increased safety features.
“Right now, they’re incentivized to make a profit,” he said.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
