20 Dec Designing a Metaverse for the Margins
In late October, Mark Zuckerberg announced the naming of his umbrella company, Meta. The name was specifically chosen to closely identify the premier force that is shaping the metaverse. Facebook describes the metaverse as “a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you. You’ll be able to hang out with friends, work, play, learn, shop, create and more. It’s not necessarily about spending more time online — it’s about making the time you do spend online more meaningful.”
Comments and editorials have been and will be flooding news outlets, social media, and conversations around the remaining water coolers. Early reactions have focused on the companies facilitating this change rather than the potential that this evolution may unlock for society’s greatest challenges. It would be naïve to think that the emergence, development, and cultivation of the metaverse has been or will be rooted in altruism and concern for the public “good.” Judge it as you may, my point is not to persuade you to think this is a “good” or “bad” thing, rather I aim, as a researcher does, to think about the ways that the metaverse will create impact and change and explore the lever by which it does this.
Because I study the development of educational programs, media, and technology, I would ask that you consider the role that the metaverse could play in the operation and support of kids and families. Simply stated, it may help us all as a society raise children more effectively. In my work over the past few years, I have specialized in understanding kids and families, especially when they interact with technology and media. I have had the privilege of working with world class companies that are in the business of creating solutions for kids and families that make their lives safer, richer, and easier. By engaging with these partners over time, I have come to know that they are not only incredibly talented in their skills but also genuinely strive to make the world a better place.
Let’s also recognize that the metaverse has the potential to level the playing field in a variety of disciplines by developing inclusive platforms from the outset. According to the Equity by Design proponents, inequity is designed into systems and with help and intent can be designed out of them. Designers should not focus their considerations on the bulk of the curve when designing but rather aim to create solutions for those in the margins of society. Solutions that are developed in this way, they claim, have historically created not only solutions for those in the margins but have also created unintended benefits for the greater society.
If we accept for the moment that the metaverse will be a reality and a large part of all our lives in the future, designing for the margins yields the biggest benefit for society as a whole. That means there is an optimistic and altruistic core of intent underlying the actions of those designing components of the metaverse for kids and families. I can’t help but wonder (in the truest sense of the word) about what could be possible as a result of this evolution.
Will it be possible for children of incarcerated parents to sit with an imprisoned mother or father and read books together at night? Could deployed soldiers take a few minutes to play catch with their daughters before they got on the bus for school? Could the field of education ∂be leveled by removing the barriers of geography, resources, and time?
The metaverse will never replace the “real” world. It lacks the palpable energy generated by bringing people together in a physical space. This is the kind of energy that all living things emit, and which connects us with our most prehistoric instincts. Conversely, the metaverse is, at its root, a futuristic cognitive experience which reengages emotional references and allows for implicit connection when the physical is impossible.
Research must be a fundamental part of the evolution into this new space. Social scientists must strive to understand how the metaverse and those who support the welfare of families can create a mutually beneficial relationship that fosters a healthier, happier, and more engaged society.
Dan Warren, Ph.D. is Director, Youth Development and Education at Fluent Research. Dan holds a doctorate in Human Development and Child Study from Tufts University and taught elementary school in Massachusetts for nearly a decade.