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1. Grand BGM + title of the documentary (tbd) appears

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1. Grand BGM + title of the documentary (tbd) appears

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Make a logo for the title

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The downsides of the metaverse

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3. Find videos/clips of people using their phones and videos/pictures that shows the metaverse + grand BGM continues

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3. Find videos/clips of people using their phones and videos/pictures that shows the metaverse + grand BGM continues

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4.1 Introduce what metaverse is (+ what our topic will be)

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4.1 Introduce what metaverse is (+ what our topic will be)

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Provide background information & context:
Do you know metaverse? The metaverse is a virtual space in which people can communicate and socialize...

The metaverse is very controversial globally, and discussions are sparking on whether or not it should be considered and viewed positively.
https://101blockchains.com/pros-cons-of-metaverse/#:~:text=So%2C%20the%20metaverse%20cons%20might,individuals%20as%20well%20as%20institutions.

How is the metaverse developing currently? (introduce singularity)

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The popularity of metaverse as a concept grew substantially in 2022, primarily due to big announcements by tech giants. For example, Facebook rebranded as Meta with a focus on developing its own metaverse. It was one of the notable events which spurred worldwide discussions on possibilities with the metaverse. At the same time, many other tech biggies such as Microsoft, Epic Games, and NVidia are joining the metaverse bandwagon with innovative ventures. As the popularity of the metaverse continues to climb higher, the attention on Metaverse pros & cons has started to gain momentum.

A detailed overview of the advantages and disadvantages associated with the metaverse can help in understanding whether the metaverse concept will be feasible in the long run. The following discussion offers you an outline of metaverse advantages and disadvantages for developing an unbiased impression of the metaverse.

Understanding Metaverse

The mandatory thing required for understanding the pros and cons of metaverse is the definition of metaverse. An overview of the background of the metaverse can help you set the perfect foundation for discussing its pros and cons. The first origins of the metaverse go back to 1992 when a science fiction novel "Snow Crash" published the term.

The author, Neal Stephenson, imagined the metaverse as a virtual world where humans can interact with each other and digital solutions in the form of their avatars. Interestingly, the vision of Neal Stephenson for the metaverse painted it as the future evolution of the internet on the shoulders of VR technology.

Fast forward to today, and we can find the metaverse as the vision for a persistent, shared virtual world where users can participate as digital avatars. Many people and institutions are eager to capitalize on the metaverse pros of a seamless virtual world. At the same time, the different perceived scenarios for future of the metaverse and supporting technologies for the metaverse also drive new advancements in the metaverse.

Learn the core concepts of Metaverse through Metaverse flashcards to extend your knowledge and get ahead of the crowd!

Working of the Metaverse

Even if this might seem unnecessary, the brief overview of how the metaverse works can provide better insights to identify metaverse cons intuitively. In the simplest sense, metaverse is a massive virtual space powered by technologies such as VR, AR, blockchain, and a creator economy. All these technologies combine together to offer immersive experiences to users in the virtual metaverse worlds.

Users can participate in a wide range of activities such as interacting with other users, working with colleagues, or playing games with friends. In addition, the metaverse platforms have their independent economies with native mediums of exchange, generally addressed through cryptocurrencies.

Some of the notable examples of the metaverse in fiction include films such as Ready Player One and Free Guy. Players can use VR headsets and Extended Reality gadgets to enter virtual worlds with their own independent economies. For example, the OASIS is the virtual world in Ready Player One, and players can access it through advanced XR technologies.

The brief overview of metaverse fundamentals offers the ideal foundation to start discussing metaverse pros & cons in detail.

Advantages of Metaverse

One of the first questions about the metaverse is "What are the advantages of the metaverse?" as it is a new technology. People want to know the different possible advantages of the metaverse to determine how it can be a valuable technology. Many big tech companies have already started working on developing their unique visions of the metaverse.

Enterprises have identified the possibilities for transforming the future of internet and digital communication into more immersive experiences. Therefore, the metaverse advantages in creating digital solutions for generating value in practical applications are the talk of the town. Here are some of the notable advantages of the metaverse you should take into account.

A raging pandemic grasped the whole world in its clutches in 2020 and taught the importance of remote working. Businesses all over the world started adopting digital technologies or online instruments for communication. Therefore, remote working or work-from-home routines have become quite common for continuing the operations of businesses and the employed individuals.

In addition, educational institutions also recognized the value of remote or distance learning in event of restrictions on face-to-face interactions. The pandemic served as a primary reason for rising popularity of video conferencing platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom video calls, Microsoft Teams, and many others.

The metaverse pros for improving communication can introduce engaging and interactive experiences for all users. With the graphically-rich 3D virtual environments and the immersive experiences, participants could discover opportunities for dynamic and engaging interactions among participants.

Rather than interacting with other participants through a computer screen, microphone and speakers, you can access virtual offices or classrooms. The metaverse will allow users to explore the virtual workspaces or learning spaces in 360-degree view alongside interacting with the life-like digital avatars of other participants.

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Another promising answer for "What are the advantages of the metaverse?" draws attention to the possibilities for using it to support blockchain applications. Blockchain is the foundation behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ether, and many other crypto assets. However, it is important to note that blockchain can serve many other purposes than just creating crypto tokens or coins. As a distributed or decentralized database for storing transaction records, it can facilitate development and distribution of NFTs.

With the help of NFTs, the application of blockchain in the gaming industry can diversify further with new trends. So, where do the metaverse pros come into the picture here? NFTs are suitable instruments for promoting the new model of play-to-earn games, where players can acquire tradable in-game digital assets.

The metaverse can offer a seamless virtual environment for connecting all these games and the associated users. Let us understand it in a simpler way. NFT games have in-game assets in the form of NFTs. You can trade them or use them on other platforms or with game titles. With the metaverse, you don't have to worry about any intermediaries or conversions for trading and managing your in-game assets.

As a virtual shared space, the metaverse can provide the right grounds for innovative advancements in blockchain applications. Think of cryptocurrencies, blockchain games, decentralized finance, NFTs, and tokenization of content.

The influence of social networking sites and platforms on the media industry is clearly evident. Brands use social media as the primary platform for promoting their offerings and engaging with their target audience. The new platforms for branding and marketing empower the target audience with capabilities for creating content related to the brand.

Furthermore, social media has also opened many prospects for businesses and marketers to carry out promotion of products and services. Social media is also delivering better results in comparison to traditional media, thereby leading to the development of new marketing trends.

The metaverse advantages for expanding social media beyond web 2.0 would play a huge role in establishing their role for marketing. Metaverse would bring the inherent benefits of social media for marketing and branding along with additional benefits. For example, businesses and marketers could capitalize on the value benefits of virtualization through the metaverse.

Brands could create digital versions of the products and solutions in shared virtual worlds and put them on display. Users could gain almost real-time experience of viewing and checking specifications of the product. Furthermore, the metaverse pros might also drive the growth of new avenues for electronic commerce based on precedents of augmented reality.

The notion of virtual economies in the existing digital realm is quite a promising one. As the virtual worlds continue to expand in the metaverse, one of the notable metaverse advantages would focus on creation of a virtual economy. The metaverse economy can serve as the ideal platform for immersive exchanges of digital assets with real economic value. In addition, the metaverse also has the desired capabilities for driving the introduction of new trade activities and jobs in the shared virtual spaces as well as the real world.

Cons of Metaverse

The outline of Metaverse advantages and disadvantages may remain incomplete without reflecting on the cons. With a broad range of advantages, the metaverse seems to have no disadvantages at all. However, the proposition for a persistent, shared virtual world also raises some unavoidable concerns. Here are some of the notable answers for "What are the cons of metaverse?" to identify the cons.

The first entry among the list of metaverse cons would obviously refer to the requirement of advanced digital technologies. Metaverse brings many new and advanced technologies such as VR headsets, haptics, blockchain, and other requirements. However, every individual on this planet does not have access to advanced technologies.

For example, fast internet connectivity is one of the mandatory requirements for participating in the metaverse. Majority of people worldwide cannot access fast internet and cannot capitalize on the full potential of the metaverse. In addition, the metaverse disadvantages also point towards the need for advanced communication tools and gadgets. Many people cannot afford a high-end VR headset for entering the metaverse.

Many of the digital solutions existing today have been associated with concerns regarding privacy and security. The main agenda for criticism of digital solutions revolves around the fact that they collect data from users. Such data can be used for intrusive online advertisements and identity theft.

Furthermore, companies have not been able to address these concerns completely. So, the metaverse cons might also bring issues pertaining to privacy and security risks. As an online-enabled space, the metaverse can lead to new issues in security and privacy for individuals as well as institutions.

With the objective of introducing immersive experiences to users, the metaverse blurs the gap between real and virtual worlds. Even if you can consider this as an advantage, addiction to virtual worlds can lead people to withdraw from real-world experiences. The metaverse disadvantages also bring the possibilities of the metaverse influencing the ways in which people perceive real relationships and interactions.

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Final Words

The concluding viewpoint on pros and cons of metaverse provides a definitive impression of the metaverse capabilities. The promise of an immersive online experience with different elements like social media, gaming, content creation, and other advanced technology serves vital advantages for the metaverse.

On the other hand, the concerns of privacy and security alongside requirements of advanced technologies emerge as notable metaverse pitfalls. The observation of metaverse pros & cons gives a balanced idea of what the metaverse is and what it could be. Metaverse enthusiasts and institutions should take note of both sides of the metaverse before passing the final verdict. Learn more about the metaverse and enrich your knowledge about the new technology right now.
*Disclaimer: The article should not be taken as, and is not intended to provide any investment advice. Claims made in this article do not constitute investment advice and should not be taken as such. 101 Blockchains shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this article. Do your own research!

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The popularity of metaverse as a concept grew substantially in 2022, primarily due to big announcements by tech giants. For example, Facebook rebranded as Meta with a focus on developing its own metaverse. It was one of the notable events which spurred worldwide discussions on possibilities with the metaverse.

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Singularity --> dramatic growth that people can't take control
What will happen to the world when it can't be controlled anymore?
https://content.techgig.com/technology-unplugged/this-is-how-ai-and-singularity-can-manipulate-metaverse/articleshow/87911236.cms
<show a quantitative graph>
- addiction
-human law
Also introduce cryptocurrency, bit coin, squid game coin, BTS Coin
https://www.coindesk.com/
Go deeply into NFT & how it can't be used in the real world.
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/nft-non-fungible-token/

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There has recently been a lot of talk about singularity and whether we will soon be entering a time where artificial general intelligence becomes a reality. However, before delving into the philosophical and ethical consequences of singularity, we must first comprehend what it is, what its constraints are, and why it may occur in a manner that is not anticipated.

The concept of singularity proposes that the exponential acceleration of technological growth will eventually lead to a situation in which artificial intelligence outperforms human intelligence and escapes our control. Some even anticipate that machines will become the dominant species on the earth, with terrible repercussions for humanity.

The internet of the future
According to recent market research, the metaverse market opportunity might be worth $800 billion by 2024. Given such large anticipated market size, this could be interpreted as a meteoric ascent for the metaverse; yet, many people are questioning, "What is the metaverse?"

To put it another way, existing in the metaverse is the same as living on the internet. This creates the possibility of a new world, a new economy, and new opportunities.

Unlike the internet, however, VR immersion will cause the human brain to release the same neurotransmitters (endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine) that it does in the actual world, making it more natural and realistic for people to inhabit than the internet. It's a digital arena where you can engage with other individuals in a virtual world.

The emergence of a new ecosystem
The payments infrastructure is one of the most critical components, and it will surely be one of the metaverse's cornerstones. The ability to purchase, sell, and, most crucially, own things in the metaverse may be the most revolutionary aspect of this new era. As a result, decentralised ledger technologies, such as blockchains, will become the most viable, if not the final, solution for value exchange and storage. Because this is truly building a new universe where users will connect, transact, own, exchange, and share economic value, the prospects for economic development will be incomprehensible.

This opens up a whole new universe for cryptocurrencies, which authorities are currently trying to regulate in the actual world; how can they be governed effectively in the metaverse?

The fact that we have already transferred our lives to the dig has been underscored by Covid-19.

How Singularity can impact the ecosystem
The advancement of Neuromorphic computing, in which traditional semiconductor architectures are disrupted and re-engineered to mimic the structure of the human brain, where processing and memory are combined in one unit, the neural structure created by Marvin Minsky, and many other structures are slowly becoming a reality from a hardware standpoint, is changing this rapidly. As a result, AI is becoming faster, better, and more general.

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This is how AI and singularity can manipulate Metaverse

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There has recently been a lot of talk about singularity and whether we will soon be entering a time where artificial general intelligence becomes a reality. However, before delving into the philosophical and ethical consequences of singularity, we must first comprehend what it is, what its constraints are, and why it may occur in a manner that is not anticipated.

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Survey will be sent out to ask people about their stances and personal opinions regarding the metaverse, cryptocurrency, singularity, and etc.

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6. Analysis of the responses from the survey

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6. Analysis of the responses from the survey

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The different percentage of people who positively view and negatively view the metaverse

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7. Our stance (more details will be added)

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7. Our stance (more details will be added)

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We believe that the metaverse is ineffective and disadvantageous ___________.

Provide thesis statement

But have to include the good aspects of the metaverse as well even though our main stance is that the metaverse is bad.

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How and what the solutions will be in order to improve and fix the negative aspects of the metaverse

+ how this solution will change the development of the metaverse and the future
https://bigthink.com/the-future/metaverse-dystopia/
+also include our thoughts about Singularity

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In a Big Think article last month, I warned that a corporate-controlled metaverse is rapidly coming our way, and it won't be all sim-rainbows and sim-roses. Yes, there will be magical applications, but the real metaverse also will be intrusive and overwhelming, adding a pay-for-play layer to our lives that will make today's problems with social media seem quaint.

In response to that piece, many have reached out, as the warnings I outlined resonated with them. They wanted to know what we can do to avoid the dangers. I have thought a lot about this over the last decade and have several ideas to share. To present this methodically, it is helpful to address three key questions: (1) What will the metaverse really be like when widely deployed? (2) What are the most significant risks? and (3) What are the most helpful solutions?

To answer this, we must predict what will replace today's ecosystem of desktops and mobile phones as our primary means of accessing digital content. There are two likely scenarios: either we will live in a virtual world, wearing headsets and gloves like Facebook is currently pitching, or we will live in an augmented world, wearing see-through glasses with content splashed all around us. Both futures are possible, but I firmly believe augmented reality (AR) will be the platform of our lives by the end of this decade. Virtual reality (VR) will be popular but for limited duration uses like gaming, entertainment, and targeted business applications.

Why does AR win? Having been involved in both technologies from the beginning, I see no way to escape a very simple fact: people do not want shoeboxes strapped to their faces. It is not just the size and weight that are off-putting, but the sense of being cut-off from your surroundings. In fact, it was this feeling of being enclosed and isolated while working with early vision systems at NASA that inspired me to pitch augmenting our reality to the Air Force 30 years ago. And as I studied people using those early prototypes, I was convinced AR would eventually become the medium of our lives.

People do not want shoeboxes strapped to their faces.
Dr. Louis Rosenberg on why VR will lose out to AR

I know many believe VR will be the dominant platform, but I sincerely hope it does not go this way. I say that because the more we distance ourselves from in-person interaction, the less empathy we will feel for each other, reducing fellow humans to sim-characters in a sim-world. I have been concerned about this for a long time, even writing a dystopian graphic novel in 2008 ( Upgrade) that describes the callous and oppressive society that can result if we all retreat into a virtual world. Coincidentally, the key plot point of that book was a perpetual global pandemic that forced everyone indoors, giving us no choice but to embrace purely virtual lives.

Still, barring such a disaster, I remain confident that augmented reality will inherit the world from phones and desktops, shaping our lives for the next few decades. I also believe AR will make our world magical, allowing us to embellish our surroundings with virtual content that seems real but is playfully untethered from the laws of physics. This will open amazing opportunities for artists and designers, entertainers and educators, and of course, marketeers. AR will also give us superpowers, enabling us to alter our surroundings with the flick of a finger or the blink of an eye. Rather than give pages of examples here, I point you to Metaverse 2030, a piece I wrote to convey what our augmented lives will be like 10 years out.

What are the primary risks we face?

It's not the technology of the metaverse that is so dangerous, but the fact that powerful corporations will be able to mediate all aspects of our lives, selling access to our eyeballs to the highest bidder. I know this sounds a lot like today's social media, but in the metaverse, the intrusion will be far more intimate than any media technology ever created. This will enable the big platform providers to monitor, manipulate, and monetize us like never before. I call these risks The Three M's of the Metaverse:

(1) Monitoring. Over the last two decades, tech companies have made a science of tracking our behaviors, analyzing how we browse and where we click so they can peddle our profiles to advertisers. Many consider this an egregious invasion of privacy, but little has been done to solve the problem. In addition, this obsession with tracking and profiling has made social media a destructively polarizing force, allowing platform providers to target us with custom messaging that amplifies our existing biases and preconceptions, radicalizing populations.

In the metaverse, this gets much worse. The technology will not simply track what you click on, but where you go, what you do, and what you look at - even how long your gaze lingers. The platforms will also track your facial expressions, vocal inflections, and vital signs (as captured by your trusty smartwatch), while intelligent algorithms will use this data to predict your emotional states. This means the companies controlling the metaverse will not just know how you act, but how you react, profiling your responses at the deepest level. Of course, the danger here is not that they track these things, but that they can use this data to manipulate our wants and needs, influencing not just what we buy but what we believe.

(2) Manipulation. From the early days of radio and TV, advertisers have targeted us by demographic, skillfully influencing our views. With the advent of social media, segmenting the public has gotten far more precise, enabling hyper-targeted messaging. In the metaverse, this targeting will get far more personal, the content much harder to resist. After all, in today's world, we usually know when we are being advertised to and can muster a healthy dose of skepticism. In the metaverse, we will not be hit with overt pop-up ads or promo-videos but simulated people, products, and activities that seem just as real as everything else around us.

For example, in the metaverse you will meet people who look and act like any other user, but they will be computer generated personas ( SimGens, I call them) that are programmed to engage you in conversation, reading your facial expressions and vocal inflections so they can pitch you more skillfully than any used car salesman. And they will be crafty, armed with a database of your interests and inclinations, plus a history of your previous interactions with similar ads. Even the manner in which these SimGens appear to you - their gender, hair color, eye color, clothing style - will be custom crafted by algorithms that predict which features are most likely to influence you personally. I know this sounds creepy, but it will happen unless we demand regulation to prevent it. (More on regulation below.)

(3) Monetization. As a longtime entrepreneur, I appreciate that platform providers are not charities: They need business models that generate real revenue. And because the public has resisted paid subscriptions, the model they have adopted is free access in exchange for advertising. This is why so much effort has gone into tracking us and profiling us and targeting us. We the public have chosen to be the product that is bought and sold rather than the customer paying the bills. I point this out because a great way to solve these problems is for us users to change our mindset, being willing to pay for access to these environments rather than selling access to ourselves.

What are the most helpful solutions?

As described above, shifting from ad-based to subscription-based models could be a powerful fix, eliminating the motivation that platform providers have to monitor and manipulate their users. Unfortunately, this only works if consumers are willing to pay for access. I suspect some users will be willing to pay for a safer metaverse, which will inspire entrepreneurs to create subscription-based platforms, but we cannot assume that this will become the norm anytime soon. We also cannot expect people to simply opt-out of the metaverse, as it will be our primary interface with digital content. Opting out will mean missing out on critical information in our world.

So what can we do to protect the public? At the risk of sounding cliché, the best solution is to enact significant and meaningful regulation. Of course, the nuanced question is: What specifically needs to be regulated?

First and foremost, we need to limit the level of monitoring allowed in the metaverse. The providers will have access to everything we do and say and touch and see. In my opinion, they should not be allowed to store this data for more than the short periods of time required to mediate whatever real-time experience is being generated. That will reduce the degree to which they can profile our behaviors over time. In addition, they should be required to inform the public as to what is being tracked and how long it will be retained. For example, if they are monitoring your gaze, you need to be overtly notified.

At the same time, there should be strict limits on what type of tracking is allowed and for what purposes. For example, the public could demand restrictions on advertising algorithms that monitor your facial expressions, vocal inflections, posture, and vital signs (including your heart rate, respiration rate, pupil dilation, and even galvanic skin response). I know this type of tracking sounds extreme, but it is the direction we are headed, and it is not far off. Unless we strictly regulate the metaverse, these very personal physiological reactions will be used to fine-tune marketing messages, adapting their strategy to influence us in real-time.

In addition, we need to assume the metaverse will move away from traditional marketing methods like pop-up ads and promo-videos, instead targeting us in far more natural ways, injecting promotional objects and activities into our world that look and feel real. If a third-party pays for a virtual product placementin your augmented surroundings, perhaps they should be required to inform you that it is a targeted placement, not a serendipitous interaction that you just happened to stumble upon.

The same is true when advertisers target us with simulated personas that engage us in what feels like natural conversations. They could be required to inform us clearly and overtly whenever we interact with conversational agents controlled by intelligent algorithms, especially when the algorithms have a hidden promotional agenda. This becomes even more important when those algorithms are also monitoring our reactions, for example assessing our posture and breathing so it can skillfully adapt its approach in real-time. This type of "interactive manipulation," optimized by AI, will happen soon, and it will be profoundly coercive unless highly regulated.

Is the metaverse worth it?

Clearly there are dangers to avoid as we transition from phones and desktops to immersive worlds. This begs the question: Is the metaverse even worth it? Personally, I believe the technology has the potential to make our lives magical, expanding what it means to be human. But to avoid the hidden perils, we should consider proactively regulating this space. And we need to do it now, before the problems become so ingrained in the infrastructure and business models that they are impossible to unwind.

I know, meaningful regulation is never easy and rarely a popular pursuit. But without restrictions on platform providers, we may find ourselves in a fully mediated world that looks and feels natural, while behind the scenes, powerful corporations are manipulating our lives for the highest bidder, altering our experiences without us even realizing it. This is not the future I want for myself or my kids, so I would encourage regulation now.

Like it or not, the metaverse is coming soon. Let's help make sure it is a wonderful experience.

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Fixing the metaverse: Augmented reality pioneer shares ideas for avoiding dystopia

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In a Big Think article last month, I warned that a corporate-controlled metaverse is rapidly coming our way, and it won't be all sim-rainbows and sim-roses. Yes, there will be magical applications, but the real metaverse also will be intrusive and overwhelming, adding a pay-for-play layer to our lives that will make today's problems with social media seem quaint.

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9. What we learned through the research and video production

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9. What we learned through the research and video production

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After research, we may also learn the positive sides of metaverse
--> write down what we learned and also write our stance again