The metaverse is coming – what positive and negative effects will it have on our society? Here we look at how the metaverse will transform different sectors and explore some of the challenges that come with it.

1. THE EFFECTS OF THE METAVERSE ON
SOCIETY

2. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The metaverse is coming – what positive and negative effects will it have on our
society? Here we look at how the metaverse will transform different sectors and
explore some of the challenges that come with it.
THE EFFECTS OF THE METAVERSE ON
SOCIETY

3. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The investment bank Jeffries recently said that the metaverse will be the
biggest disruption to how we live that the world has ever seen – and financial
firms are looking at the metaverse as a huge potential opportunity.
The metaverse is an iteration of the internet that gives us a far more immersive
experience. Users will be able to enter the internet using an avatar, or the
internet can come to you in an augmented reality experience.

4. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
You can already see examples of progress toward the metaverse today. If you
search for "dinosaurs" on Google, you can see augmented reality versions of
your favorite prehistoric creatures right in your room. You can also watch
immersive concerts in Fortnight or dive into the world of avatar-based dating.
In this post, I'll be sharing the potential positive and negative effects of the
metaverse on society. Let's take a deeper dive into how this innovative
technology will change our world for the better and some concerns and
challenges we need to consider.

5. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
CHANGES TO HOW WE PLAY
We already have virtual reality games that are available within big franchises like Grand
Theft Auto, Minecraft, and Doom. ABBA Voyage is a virtual concert experience that will
feature digital versions of one of the biggest pop acts in the world, and DJ Marshmello
and Trevor Scott have already performed virtual concerts within the Fortnite platform.
We’ll continue to see a transformation of entertainment in the way we watch sports and
enjoy music. In the future, we’ll even be able to put on VR goggles that put us right in the
middle of the action, whether it’s on the football pitch or on the big stage.

6. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
SHOPPING IN THE METAVERSE
The metaverse is already changing how we shop. IKEA was a pioneer with their Place app,
which uses augmented reality tech to place furniture into our rooms so we can see how
things will look within our home or office space.
Companies like L’Oreal and Avon enable you to virtually try on makeup through their app
or website, so you can pick the perfect shade.
Apple allows you to view their latest gadgets in your room using augmented reality, and
Bolle not only lets you see what their sunglasses look like on your face – they are even
using AR and artificial intelligence to show you what the world will look like through
different lenses! The metaverse will continue to build on and expand on these kinds of
immersive retail experiences.

7. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
TRANSFORMING TRAINING AND EDUCATION
In the future, we’ll see the metaverse providing immersive, engaging learning
opportunities in many different circumstances, including formal organizations and
schools, lifelong learning, corporate training, and personal improvement.
Children can already take lessons by transporting themselves to different places and at
different times, using immersive VR and AR technology. We've already seen this in Poland,
where teachers are using the VR game Half-Life: Alyx to teach science lessons. Companies
like Skanska are also conducting their health and safety training using virtual reality.

8. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE HELPERS
The metaverse will provide new and innovative ways to look after our health. Virtual reality
counseling is already available, and therapists are using VR goggles to provide exposure
therapy to patients, so they can experience the situations that frighten them in a safe,
controlled environment.
Surgeons are also using augmented reality technology to guide certain surgical
procedures – and they can train for operations using digital twins.
At home, we have a myriad of VR and AR wellness apps available to us – you can even do
guided yoga using augmented reality!

9. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
METAVERSE TRAVEL TECH
Hotels are already using VR as a marketing tool by creating immersive
experiences that lure in new visitors. As consumers, we can take VR excursions
all over the world, to places like Zion National Park, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, or
Dubai. In the metaverse, we’ll be able to go virtually anywhere in the world just
by strapping on a headset.
When we physically travel to a destination, we will also have access to guided
augmented reality tours that will enhance our travel experiences and help us
learn more about our surroundings.

10. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
CREATING NEW THINGS IN THE METAVERSE
The metaverse will also transform the way we create new things. Engineers, entrepreneurs,
and creators are already using digital twins – virtual replicas of objects – to simulate what
things will look like in the real world.
Formula 1 is using digital twins to create new race cars and try them out on virtual tracks.
NVIDIA now offers an omniverse where you can create the complete architecture of a
building in a virtual world, then put on your VR goggles and walk around that building at
different times and in different situations. You can even see what the building will look like
at sunset, or when it’s packed with people.
These types of co-creation tools will become even more common in the metaverse..

11. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
THE CHALLENGES OF THE METAVERSE
There’s also a downside to the metaverse, and we’ll need to consider these challenges as we move
into a more immersive virtual world.
Those challenges include things like:
1. Privacy – The metaverse will potentially collect a lot of personal data on every user, including eye-
tacking, physical reactions, and haptics. How can we protect that data?
2. Protection for children – As kids immerse themselves in the metaverse, how can we monitor what
they’re doing and seeing, so we can keep them safe?
3. Health concerns – VR hangovers, post-VR sadness, and cyber addiction are real – how can we
combat the health challenges of an immersive world?

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4. Access inequality – How can we make sure that people have equal access to the technology
needed to join the metaverse, including handsets, headsets, and connectivity?
5. Legal issues – We will need to sort out the regulatory grey issues of the metaverse. For
instance, when is a virtual act a crime?
6. Desensitization – As people enter increasingly more lifelike virtual worlds, how can we make
sure they don’t get desensitized to violence, racism, and misogyny?
7. Identity hacking – We will all be using virtual avatars to navigate the metaverse, so
protecting our identities will be critical. How can we verify that users are who they say they are
the virtual world?

13. © 2021 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
To stay on top of the latest breaking metaverse news, make sure to subscribe to
my newsletter and check out my book, Extended Reality in Practice: 100+
Amazing Ways Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Are Changing Business
and Society.

14. © 2021 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker,
futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and
companies. He helps organisations improve their business performance, use data
more intelligently, and understand the implications of new technologies such as
artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is
a frequent contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for
Forbes. Every day Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers
and shares content that reaches millions of readers.

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www.bernardmarr.com