The tech industry has a new favorite word: Metaverse. In the future, we will interact, work and experience in a digital parallel world. Is that what we want?

Hey, John D.!" I hear someone call out. I turn around, but don't see him. Who is he, how does he know my name? Oh, that's right. It's written above my head as I walk through the hall. Well, not above my own head, but above that of my avatar, my virtual alter ego.

I'm in the Metaverse for 10,000 seconds, which is pretty much exactly 2.8 hours. I want to know how we will interact, work, and live in the future - at least if the vision of the big tech companies has its way. 

The digital parallel world "Metaverse" is supposed to become the successor to the Internet, a space in which digital currencies – like the ones on Bitsgap - are standard, in which you can communicate with other people and software offerings in the form of avatars. The question on my mind: Is this what we want?

Friends I Don't Want

To find out, I put on a Quest 2. The VR goggles are the current flagship of Meta, the corporation that used to be called Facebook but renamed itself at the end of 2021 and unceremoniously proclaimed virtual reality as the future of communication, gaming and work. 

While I'm still puzzled over where the mysterious voice in my head came from, the next avatar rushes toward me and starts dancing wildly. Another one pokes me in the eyes with his virtual fingers. 

Without a word, I look away and hear another "Wait, stay!" behind me, before a friend request quickly follows. 

I escape from the friends I don't need to one of the advertised events in the Metaverse: a wrestling match. Wrestling is brutal, brash, a little cheap, and so overall great. In the real world, it's a crowd-pleaser. 

However, it’s quite boring. This is obviously also the feeling of the group of very self-confident men who have moved back outside to talk loudly about their crypto investments. Bitcoin, Shitcoin, let's get out of here.

Help, Raptors!

What's often misunderstood about Metaverse: There is not one, but many with infinite apps. In fact, every multiplayer game - from Fortnite to Pokémon Go - is a small metaverse in which gamers interact with each other. 

By 2025, gaming will be worth $260 billion a year worldwide, according to Juniper Research. It's this thriving market that's fueling tech giants' fantasies about the Metaverse.

So I'm trying out a game. In Jurassic World: Aftermath, I move through the abandoned dinosaur park while solving puzzles and hiding from vicious velociraptors. I'm not doing too badly. 

In the real world, my family is presented with a different picture: John, wearing large VR goggles in front of his eyes, waving his arms in panic and flailing wildly. A loud clang. 

I've hit a flowerpot. No matter, I quickly sweep up the broken pieces and return to the virtual South Sea island. 

Learnings

Time over. What did I learn in 10,000 seconds? Yes, the Metaverse is part of our future. But not for everything. And not for everyone. 

Social networks are easier to use on a cell phone than in three-dimensional spaces, and the same applies to work: Why should I talk to my boss's avatar when I can zoom in and see her real face? 

But games and interactive films like We Live Here show where the real potential lies: They are experiences that feel like real experiences and awaken emotions that can be felt more intensely than in classic movies and computer games.