Have you ever imagined going inside of a video game? That dream may soon become a reality（现实）. It's called the "metaverse".

The metaverse is a shared online 3D world which is considered as the future of the Internet. Instead of being on a computer, in the metaverse you might use a VR headset to enter a virtual world connecting all kinds of environments. It will feel real because the technology can simulate（模拟） our senses: sight, hearing, touch, and even smell. 

So, what can you do inside of the metaverse? Anything you want! You can meet other people wherever they are. Your location will no longer matter. In the metaverse, people would be connected at all times. So, if you are bored and can't find any friends to play basketball with, don't worry. Just jump into the metaverse and join a game.

The metaverse doesn't just connect people. It creates a new space, full of places to explore（探索）. Are you tired of visiting the same beach every year? Forget Sanya. Meet your friends in the metaverse and go to a beach on the moon-or anywhere else you can imagine. Once you're there, you can do more than just swim in the water. You can fly over the sand or dive to the bottom of the sea. You can ride horses, or better yet, dinosaurs!

Cathy Hackle, an expert in metaverse technology, said her son's first concert was inside of a video game. "Just because it happened in a video game, it didn't make it less real for him, " she said.

Perhaps the metaverse will change our idea of what is real.