The Future Development and Social Implications of the Metaverse

Mengyu Liu

doi:10.71113/JMSS.v2i2.290

Authors

Mengyu Liu Sookmyung Women's University, Korea

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71113/JMSS.v2i2.290

Keywords:

Metaverse, Social Change, Virtual Interaction, Digital Economy, Ethics

Abstract

The Metaverse, as an emerging virtual world, is gradually transforming human social relationships and behavior patterns. This paper explores the Metaverse from a social science perspective, examining its technological foundations, impact on social interactions, changes in behavior patterns, governance, and ethical challenges, while also forecasting its future development trends. The study reveals that the decentralized nature, immersive experience, and virtual economy of the Metaverse are shaping new forms of social interaction and raising a series of legal and ethical issues. Finally, this paper proposes governance and policy recommendations for the future development of the Metaverse to ensure its healthy growth.

References

Ball, M. (2022). The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything. W.W. Norton & Company.

Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Anchor Books.

Blascovich, J., & Bailenson, J. (2011). Infinite Reality: Avatars, Eternal Life, New Worlds, and the Dawn of the Virtual Revolution. William Morrow.

Bryson, J. J. (2020). Ethics and technology in the metaverse. AI & Society, 35(3), 697-705. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-00930-2

Davis, A., Murphy, S., & Owens, J. (2021). Virtual identity and social presence in the Metaverse. Journal of Digital Culture, 15(4), 89-104.

De Filippi, P., & Wright, A. (2018). Blockchain and the Law: The Rule of Code. Harvard University Press.

Floridi, L. (2021). The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. Oxford University Press.

Johnson, M., Peters, L., & Wang, S. (2023). Online education in the metaverse: Challenges and opportunities. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(2), 134-149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10098-1

Kaplan, A., & Haenlein, M. (2020). Rethinking AI and social media. Business Horizons, 63(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2019.09.003

Kim, J. (2021). Social interactions in virtual worlds: A metaverse perspective. Journal of Virtual Worlds Studies, 8(2), 12-35.

Lanier, J. (2018). Dawn of the New Everything: A Journey Through Virtual Reality. Henry Holt and Co.

Nakamura, L. (2021). Digital divide in the metaverse era. New Media & Society, 23(6), 1042-1058. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444821996778

Park, S., & Kim, Y. (2022). The evolution of virtual communities in the metaverse. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(3), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0456

Smith, R., & Jones, D. (2021). Metaverse and its impact on society. Technology & Society, 10(2), 56-78.

Stephenson, N. (1992). Snow Crash. Bantam Books.

West, S. (2022). Data privacy in the age of metaverse. Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy, 5(1), 67-82. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcp5010005