What is the metaverse?

Response

Metaverse is a fusion of meta- and universe. Meta- denotes something transcendent or advanced and all-encompassing. For instance, a “metatag” on this webpage describes what the article is about. Similarly, the “metanarrative” of the Bible portrays God’s plan of salvation through Christ.

Broadly, “The Metaverse” encompasses the digital realms where individuals engage with one another and various systems. It encompasses everything from social media platforms to video games to online banking websites. The ultimate manifestation of a system within the metaverse would be a virtual reality (VR) “world” akin to the video game depicted in the film Ready Player One. Virtual realities like those in The Matrix do not qualify as metaverses, as the inhabitants are not intended to realize their artificial nature. The holodeck—seen in Star Trek—is close to a metaverse, as its users are aware of its virtual existence. However, the holodeck is designed to be “almost real,” contrasting with a deliberately stylized metaverse. Digital spaces akin to those in the Tron movies offer more of a “behind the scenes” encounter rather than true metaverses.

The notion of a fully immersive simulated experience, along with the potential risks it may pose, has been a recurring theme in science fiction for over a century. An illustrative example is Laurence Manning’s The Man Who Awoke (1933). The narrative follows a man who undergoes millennia in suspended animation. During his awakenings, he witnesses humanity’s decline as it increasingly relies on artificial intelligence, virtual realities, and machines.

The concept of interactive virtual worlds gained broader recognition through the works of various science fiction authors. Ray Bradbury’s short stories

Ray Bradbury’s story “The Veldt” (1950) illustrates the peril of leaving children in a self-created virtual world. Similarly, around the same period, Isaac Asimov released The Naked Sun (1957), depicting societies entirely centered on virtual encounters: holograms, minimal personal interaction, and heavy dependence on artificial intelligence.

In Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 (1953), another scenario closely linked to the contemporary idea of the “metaverse” is portrayed. In the narrative, the protagonist’s spouse is addicted to “parlor walls”: a chamber with screen walls displaying soap operas in which she can engage using “shells” or earbuds. This notion persisted in the ’60s and ’70s within the cyberpunk science fiction genre, a term coined by author Bruce Bethke. In these stories, individuals create avatars and navigate through the digital realm, engaging in activities ranging from gaming to traversing digital pathways to a virtual post office for sending emails or a digital bank for transferring or depositing actual money. Throughout, the user perceives the environment from the avatar’s perspective, with the ability to turn and explore different directions while interacting with reality.

The essence of an avatar journeying through digital space distinguishes the metaverse concept from less immersive activities like online shopping. Video games have notably advanced this concept; for instance, games such as Second Life and World of Warcraft. Second Life is particularly fascinating as it incorporates personal online connections and a modifiable environment. Both games entail financial transactions among users.

A more comprehensive depiction of the metaverse integrates virtual reality with real-world scenarios. For instance, during COVID quarantine periods, some high schools conducted graduation ceremonies within the Minecraft video game. Presently, certain video games enable users to invest real money in virtual attire for their avatars. Ultimately, the metaverse would encompass a network of digital realms where users can seamlessly engage in various activities.

Would meet with friends, go to school, go on vacation, buy real items— even go to church.

Is the metaverse a bad thing? There are advantages. Education will be more immersive and (as long as bandwidth and equipment are available) more equitably accessible. Transportation costs will decrease as people stay home to work. Damage to the environment may lessen, depending on the technology involved. People who are physically limited will be able to “travel” and virtually engage in activities they couldn’t otherwise.

Even so, tech experts warn that as the metaverse expands, we will see more social problems. Such issues are almost self-evident. E. M. Forster’s short story “The Machine Stops,” written in the early 1900s, explored the dangers of humanity surrendering their physical and emotional lives entirely to remote, mechanical stimuli instead of personal experience. In the modern world, video game addiction is a real issue, and an all-encompassing virtual world will only strengthen that hold. Teachers and others working with children have observed that virtual interaction is far from sufficient for emotional development compared to face-to-face experiences. Pundits have long joked that if humanity ever developed a “perfect” customized virtual reality, such as the Star Trek holodeck, society would grind to a halt because we’d never do anything else.

The internet of things (online access to physical objects like dams, power plants, and home thermostats) is already vulnerable to hacking. As the metaverse expands, it will become even more so. The metaverse will contain more personal information, including financial and medical data, that can be accessed by malicious actors. In many cases, we won’t know if the “person” we’ve developed a VR friendship with is real, a bot, a thief, or someone who is grooming us for abuse.

There will also be sociological issues. A virtual world is curated based on what people do or don’t want to see. Individuals who reside online won’t be confronted with the same societal challenges as those who interact in the physical world.

Struggles of neighbors. They won’t see the homeless in their cities. Those who do not have access to the technology may have a harder time finding work. Young children may not receive the care and socialization they need. Even the sense of responsibility for civic issues may decrease as we find more in common with “tribes” of people from all over the world and forget the importance of government in our geographic homes.

The Bible doesn’t mention the metaverse, of course, but expanding life online presents serious theological implications. The metaverse is supposed to be an “embodied virtual world,” but this is a contradiction in terms. God created us with physical bodies in a real, physical world. He did not design us to lose ourselves in an artificial, non-physical existence. Social media is a great way to connect with friends, but it does not replace present human contact. Having the opportunity to take a virtual reality tour of Paris, the Amazon River, or a fantasy world may be a fascinating diversion, but God commanded us to interact directly with His creation «And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. », (Genesis 1:28). Online dating services have resulted in many happy marriages, but couples have to meet in real life at some point.

The metaverse isn’t cause for alarm or fear. God is still on His throne. It does present us with choices, however. We can make conscious decisions to attend church, have meals with friends, and go to work while still using the internet to augment experiences like communication, purchases, and banking. As an online ministry, Got Questions will be the last to completely condemn internet encounters. Undoubtedly, further involvement online will become inevitable. We just need to remember.

Remember that we don’t live there. We are real, physical people who live in the physical world God created and commanded us to steward.

Jesus didn’t come to earth as a digital avatar; He came in a physical body to die a physical death to, in part, redeem our physical bodies. His followers will spend eternity in glorified but still physical bodies. The metaverse will be a tool, but it can never be the “abundant life” God intended for us. See John 10:10.