Podcaster Shaan Puri's Thread On the Metaverse Is Altering Public Perception

Among many unprecedented leaps in technology in the recent past, Facebook’s launch of the Metaverse has been one that has created quite a stir online. Public understanding of this concept is still decidedly unclear but it is already being subjected to long-drawn debates and discussions online.

In layman’s terms, if the existing cyberspace that we consume is two-dimensional, the Metaverse is a 3D rendition of this virtual world that a person will be able to walk through via connected headsets and glasses. It will aim to make your entire online existence an almost tangible physical experience.

While there are already innumerable think pieces and articles that speak of what this Metaverse could mean to the future of trade, commerce, and even society at large - one particular Twitter thread by podcast host and serial founder, Shaan Puri has taken the internet by storm.

Shaan begins by stating his position on how the initial public perception of the Metaverse in itself is flawed in this three-part twitter thread.

‘Everyone is wrong.  Most people think “the metaverse” is a virtual place. Like in the movie Ready Player One. A virtual world, like Minecraft, Roblox, or like Zuck showed in the Facebook demo yesterday. But what if it’s not a place? It’s not a place, it’s a Time.’

— Shaan Puri via Twitter

Puri goes on to draw several parallels between the concepts of ‘singularity’ (a moment when artificial intelligence overpowers the human intellect) and tries to strengthen his position by stating how the metaverse could be the start of this transition of our digital lives taking over our current physical lives.

‘The metaverse is the moment in time where our digital life is worth more to us than our physical life. This is not an overnight change. Or an invention by some Steve Jobs type. It’s a gradual change that’s been happening for 20 yrs.’

— Shaan Puri via Twitter

Shaan’s methodical explanation deepens as he discusses the future of every aspect of our present existence and how the metaverse could alter that. Right from our finances to our workspaces and even to our social networks, the thread talks about a dynamic shift that could allow our digital spaces to eventually take over entirely.

By deriving sharp and articulate observations about technological advancements in history that have led up to this moment, Shaan’s commentary on this topic is poignant and crucial in terms of positing how we as a society could respond to this shift.

‘Soon, some company will make smart glasses that sit in front of our eyes all day. We will go from 50% attention on screens to ~90%+. That’s the moment in time when the metaverse starts. Because at that moment, our virtual life will become more important than our real life.’

— Shaan Puri via Twitter

You can read Shaan’s entire thread on the metaverse here.

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