The metaverse is on the way, and the hype around it is gaining serious traction. It could be completely transformative, changing the internet as we know it. It will have a major effect on many industries, with social media expected to be at the forefront of this new platform.
Social media users today have a multitude of privacy options so they can control what people see. However, there are questions about how and if this will translate to the metaverse.
Social Media Users Are Currently Able to Select Their Privacy Options
One of the reasons why social media sites have enjoyed such amazing success is the fact that users can tailor their own environments. They can see what they want to see and show people what they want to show them.
A lot of social media users value their privacy with the utmost importance. Nearly 80 percent of Facebook and Instagram members have adjusted their privacy settings in the last year, highlighting how crucial these features are.
According to an infographic from ExpressVPN, there are various ways to stay safe and private on social media. This includes having multiple accounts for different purposes, reviewing photo tags, and limiting posts to close friends. Users have so much control over these settings that they can create their own social media experience.
How Will This Translate to the Metaverse?
Because so much is unknown about the metaverse right now, it’s hard to know how these privacy settings will translate to this new world. According to XR Today, the metaverse will serve a wide variety of functions. This will include socializing, working, and playing. If people are using this world for different things, it may mean that their settings will have to alter depending on what they are doing.
Users may interact with the metaverse on different levels, some of which will give them more control than others. It’s reasonable to imagine that in social scenarios, everyone will have the power to show and see things in the same way they do now. However, when entering wider social settings like groups or entertainment zones, users may be exposed to content that they have no power over.
Metaverse inhabitants may still be able to block people as they can today on social media. If they encounter a blocked person in a social setting, they may not be able to see the face of their avatar or interact with them in any way.
There are already some theories about this, such as the ideas posed by Futurism. Metaverse users may be able to block things that they don’t want to see and go about constructing their own virtual worlds over time. Eventually, this could lead to bespoke experiences for everyone who enters the metaverse.
There’s no doubt that it’s going to take time for users to adapt to the metaverse. It is also likely to go through a lot of teething problems before it is as advanced as the world of social media today. Users have grown accustomed to constructing their own online spaces, though, and the metaverse is likely to offer similar options.
