Cathy HackI's son wanted a party for his 9th birthday. He wanted to hold the party on Roblox, a website where users can play and create games. Roblox is part of the metaverse. This is a virtual-reality space. There, users can interact with other people and digital environments. Virtual reality is a three-dimensional simulation of a real-life image or environment. "They hung out and played, "Hackl said, "Just because it happens in a virtual space doesn't make it less real. "The term metaverse has become popular. Today, people are spending more of their lives in virtual spaces.
The word metaverse comes from a science fiction book from the 1990s. But the metaverse has been around longer than that Online communities have existed since the 1980s. We enter the metaverse through a screen. This could be through virtual reality(VR). It could also be through augmented reality(AR). Augmented reality covers computer-generated images on the real world. These experiences create a greater blending of our virtual and real lives. But these two worlds already cannot be separated and we don't even need any headsets, such as VR glasses.
Think about the Didi Taxi app. It uses location data to tell drivers where their cars are.
The metaverse is an expansion(扩张)of the Internet. There are lots of Internet problems to solve already. Still, many people say it has real benefits. They say it can increase social networks and improve mental health. Hackl is a metaverse expert, and she's African. She says, "You can encourage a lot more people to join and build social relations. "For those already spending part of their life in the metaverse, that building has begun.
Carrie Tatsu runs a business in the metaverse. But she wants her kids to spend time in the real world. "It's so important for humans to be with humans in real life, "she said, "I think as kids grow up in this space, it's important for them to take part, go smell a flower here, walk on a trail, have a real conversation with a friend. Even though you can simulate that, the simulation is not the same. "
