“The metaverse is not just a ‘new Americas’ in that it’s more real estate. It’s a new canvas for individuals. It’s more like discovering the solar system, the Galaxy,” said Matthew Ball, venture capitalist and metaverse visionary.
What makes the metaverse a true game-changer is the applications that it offers creators and users, with the most common being artists’ and musicians’ galleries and NFT marketplaces. Now, it is easier than ever for artists everywhere to showcase their works to a larger audience, collaborate with peers, and even engage with their buyers.
This autonomy gives creators more options to monetize their content by engaging with followers or fans on social media platforms, and incentivizing every interaction. The beauty of it is that anyone can be a creator.
In short, the metaverse is helping to democratize the creator economy.
But this is just one application. The metaverse can also be a vehicle for a wider range of purposes.
For instance, customised avatars offer children undergoing home-based learning or those with learning disabilities an avenue to develop their social skills and self-confidence in a safe space at their own pace via the metaverse.
It also provides therapists with more ways to help patients form the cognitive, behavioural, and social skills to navigate relationships and engage with others in the physical world.
Democratisation, monetisation and communication. These are but a handful of applications made possible with the metaverse, and the list will only keep growing as more organizations, institutions and individuals make their way there.
Metaverse: Adoption through Accessibility
Despite being a vehicle for innovation, transformation and change – the metaverse remains cutting-edge technology that isn’t accessible to the average person on the street. It’s akin to being back in the early days of the internet where the ability to create software, start a website, or even configure a modem made you a highly sought-after talent.
Still, it’s 2022. Shouldn’t there be a way for everyone to build in the metaverse? A sort of Metaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS)?
Actually, yes, this technology has already arrived.
