Part 4: Virtual Reality for MZ Generation

written by 10702 Kim Min Joo, 10801 Kang Seo Rin,

20121 Lee Go Eun, 20321 Yim Tae Hee

& 20720 Jeong Da Eun

Here is part four of the five-part series on the virtual world being a blessing or a curse. 

The Metaverse

A lot of things have changed since the 21st century began. The 4th Industrial Revolution is where the boundaries between the physical, digital, and biological worlds are getting blurry.

The technologies that are developing are Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, robotics, virtual reality, and more. Of course, these have their own pros and cons and are being used in numerous places. However, among these, virtual reality is what people started paying more attention to due to the pandemic.

To be more specific, the MZ generation pays the most attention to virtual reality since it enables a wide range of things. Thus, socially influential companies, politicians, and even the MZ generation invested in this technology.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, is one of the people that have high expectations in this area. He wants to reinvent Facebook into a Virtual Reality-Based social media. In Zuckerberg’s world, Facebook is no longer a social media company, it’s a metaverse company where users are in the world itself rather than viewing the enumerated bits of information.

Moreover, these days a newly coined word appeared, which is Metaverse. The prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and the stem “verse” (a backformation from “universe”) literally means a virtual shared space, a new name for virtual reality.

Relationship Between Generations

Virtual reality is getting so much attention regardless of things since it provides a new part of oneself. The new part of oneself might be an avatar just like themselves or instead be an alter ego.

Technology is taking place in a four-dimensional world, there is no need for an actual human being to be there. Just a little click will make an avatar of a particular person and act instead of a real human being.

The MZ generation started to use technology and the Internet from a very young age. This generation tends to deem the Internet and virtual reality as a part of their lives. Unlike the other generations, this leads this generation to try modern technologies through Facebook, Instagram and etc. They find technology easy, while other generations tend to spend a lot of time just getting to know that technology.

Metaverse’s Advantages

The main advantage Metaverse gives to the MZ generations is that it opens a new and fresh world regardless of diverse situations. Also, means that it enables users to communicate unhindered by time and place.

Moreover, Metaverse enables coexistence during the COVID-19 era. It is unhindered from the constant social distancing, quarantine, lockdowns and more. This is a huge benefit especially to the MZ generations who are most familiar with the main technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Without meeting their friends, acquaintances or even strangers, the generation is enabled to do various activities via metaverse platforms, which could be playing games, singing, avatar’s virtual and physical activities, taking photos or videos and more.

My Opinion

I deem Metaverse as one of the best technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Not only does it allow the generation to keep in touch with others constantly, but it is also this newly made technology for the MZ generation to think and make their thoughts visible. Thus, metaverse will be a playground for the Millennials, Gen Z and the generation afterward.