Day 3/50: “A Convenient Time for a Metaverse”
November 6th. 2021. 8:28 PM.
It rained all day. A double-rainbow emerged. Outside, now, it is still.
I am massively underqualified to be discussing the Metaverse as I have spent no more than an hour reading on the subject. And, while I have no hefty opinions on the Metaverse, I do find myself with one impression I cannot shake off, one of which I wanted to put down in writing.
The entire concept of the Metaverse made me laugh at first. Sure, the concepts are undeniably advanced and mind-boggling, but it is also hilarious with its timing of inception. These enormous ideas and technological creations can reinvent everything we’ve ever known about space and time and what living on this planet can mean; however, I couldn’t help feeling unimpressed by it all. Why? Because I find it convenient and similarly absurd for the human species to create a virtual universe inside of one that is about to deny the human species their ongoing survival.
But, before I go any further, let me explain my little understanding of the Metaverse. The quick, one-sentence Wikipedia explanation goes as such, “the Metaverse is the hypothesized next iteration of the internet, supporting decentralized, persistent online 3-D virtual environments.” What does this mean?
From what I gather, the Metaverse, if fully implemented, would be a massive integration of virtual reality in our day-to-day lives. There would be tools to help us navigate our everyday tasks and interact with other people without ever having to leave our homes. Impressive, sure. But, quite sad.
For companies, this could mean having virtual 3D board meetings in a familiar workspace. In schools, students could potentially explore historical architecture and ancient civilizations through 3D representation. There is also the possibility of reanimating historical figures using artificial intelligence. Just think, you could stand face to face with Napoleon Bonaparte. Battle in Austerlitz. You could enter Moscow together! Amazing.
We can date virtual reality back to the late 1970s, though only in recent years have the concepts of these new technologies seemed possible to execute. However, it takes massively powerful computers, ones that aren’t available to the average consumer. In 2016, it was estimated that 99% of computers on the market were incapable of handling the software requirements for an adequate virtual reality experience. This means more plastic, more waste, and more, more, more.
Since the dawn of capitalism, we as workers/consumers have, in some sense, been little cogs in a massive machine obsessed with hyper-technological advancements. We have been born into this scheme, with no choice other than to participate. But, at what cost does this tradition play itself out? Is there an end goal? Or will it run itself to the ground?
Every time a new technology is introduced, it is supposed to do away with a struggle we faced before its conception. But, so often, with each solution, there comes another problem. We have all seen the paradox of social media giving us the ability to connect with almost anybody in the world at any time while simultaneously creating the most isolated network of humans in the history of the world.
In my last post, I contemplated where stories and other works of art originate. I concluded that art often emerges from a place within the creator where they feel discontent with the world. When artists create something, they are staring at an existential problem and, whether consciously or not, creating something to make this reality more bearable. It is an act of rebellion.
Now, there are other ways people deal with uncomfortable realities. They may deny them altogether. They may distract themselves from their discomforts. They may reason their way to a point where any such problem is incompatible with their conclusion. There are indeed other ways too, but the fact is, we as humans are in the habit of creating narratives to fit what we wish to accept.
For the past 30 years, it has been abundantly clear the world is overheating. Denial is having to spend over 30 years convincing people it is accurate. Reasoning is when winter comes, and things don’t look so bad any longer. Or when the bills pile up, or you barely get through the week, and it just doesn’t matter anymore to care.
Anyhow, we are at a very critical point now, and I see two glaring realities which every person living on this planet has to internalize and accept. 1) We may not succeed in our fight against the climate crisis, and 2) If we succeed, we will not live to witness any benefits of our work.
This is tough. I mean, try telling someone to haul bricks all day to build a massive castle, but for no pay, and they’re also blindfolded. Not only do they not benefit from the effort financially, but they don’t even get to witness the creation they’re a part of. This is why there are so many suicides in factory workers; there is a disconnect between their work and its benefit to society.
We only get one life; how the hell are people going to be convinced to use theirs in a laborious effort, the results of which they will never get to enjoy? Each of us, rich and poor, have been conditioned by this machine focused on “progress” that we view ourselves and our work purely in transactional terms. I do believe this way of thinking is relatively new and has been ingrained in us over the past two hundred years. Look back on pre-modern civilizations. Humans have not always viewed themselves as a means to an end. As a potential transaction. Individualism and narcissism have potentially made it impossible to solve a climate crisis.
So, what I am saying, is I am not surprised that, at this crucial moment where we need to make considerable shifts to save our planet, we see an alternate universe emerging. It is hilarious, ridiculous, and incredibly believable.
What does the timing say about our psyche? Whether we realize it or not, we are terrified of our current reality. When we create things like a Metaverse in the face of an existential annihilation, it only reinforces a pattern of behaviour rooted in denial and narcissistic individualism.
End.
