It's fascinating to see many journalists state things like "The Metaverse might be interesting, but using a VR headset for work meetings and social life isn't feasible." They're correct. Headsets are uncomfortable, can cause motion sickness in many people, and sometimes present technical difficulties that create too high of a barrier for usage. For your average middle manager who struggles to create a Zoom meeting, the idea of them putting on an Oculus Quest 2 every day for work is laughable. The errors, crashes, and graphical glitches just aren't suitable for an office environment.
While I understand that Meta isn't pushing this exact scenario, the way it's being marketed implies that the Metaverse will be the future, and that this is a brand new way of socializing, working, and existing. The reality is that the technology hasn't come far enough for that to be accessible, or desirable for everyone.
My biggest issue is the severe lack of acknowledge of the present reality of VR. People use the technology to hang out (VR Chat, Second Life), play video games, and create art. They also form communities, run businesses, and engage in work through VR- primarily on Second Life. Systems for exchanging money, creating art, and living already exist in VR. They're just not owned by one of the few mega corporations that seeks to control all online activity.
The avatars and environments you would find in Second Life and VR Chat are varied, bespoke, and interesting. There are a wide variety of art styles, activities, and ways of interacting available. I would hate for any journalist to only see Meta's sanitized, boring version of VR environments and avatars, and assume that this is the only virtual reality that's possible.
Some folks say that technology is the enemy, and state that this sort of "fake" virtual life is ultimately the problem. I say that capitalism is the enemy. Meta seeks to make a profit, create a monopoly, uphold the surveillance state, and control how people engage in virtual reality. Virtual reality is a valuable tool to create accessibility, communicate without geographic barriers, and create immersive art that is otherwise impossible. Like the web, corporations are trying to control it, limit it, and make sure that the only space you can exist in is their space. And I hate that.