Will the Metaverse Replace Social Media?

First off, let me kill the suspense…

No, the Metaverse, no matter what Zuck says, will not replace social media.

The Metaverse may prove to be a new digital phenomenon and, yes, social media will change, but Metaverse will not replace social media.

Let’s talk about that!

My primary reason for making this somewhat controversial claim is convenience.

The Metaverse still isn’t terribly convenient unless you’re a hardcore geek.

Most people forget that Second Life predated Facebook and was pretty hot for a while.

Then Facebook came along with a fairly simple GUI and a learning curve that was practically non-existent. 

Boom!

Next thing we know, everyone is talking about Facebook and most folks think Second Life was on the dustbin heap of technology history along with Atari, DEC, and Wang.

(Spoiler alert:  It’s not!)

Yes, we now have Oculus headsets, and while I haven’t tried one myself yet, I understand that they’re somewhat bulky to wear and pricey.

(Zuck, if you happen to be reading this, I will try out Oculus and review it here, if you send me one.)

OK, hardware always gets better and cheaper (Except for iPhones), so let’s move on.

Where’s the killer app?

For those of you, who happen to remember the early, balmy days of personal computers, they weren’t much more than a toy until Visicalc, the first digital spreadsheet, came along and the business world took note.

Along came Lotus 1-2-3 not long after that and the rest is history.

Now, there’s a killer app!

People talk about having meetings and going to school in the Metaverse.

I ask why?

Claims like that remind me of the later Seventies when Radio Shack (Talk about the dustbin heap of history, remember them?) was touting its Tandy home computer to keep track of recipes and bowling scores.

(I still remember the picture of the Tandy sitting on kitchen counter of some poor family’s home.)

Like who bothered?

Given how we use social media today, (Or, rather misuse sometimes.) I don’t see the Metaverse replacing social media anytime soon.

Until the hardware becomes more user friendly, the price point is significantly lower, and there’s at least one killer app, we’re going to using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and all the other social media channels for the conceivable future.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Metaverse does have a place in our tool sets.

As, I’ve blogged before, I use Second Life to help promote mystery writers through The Mystery Hour with Con Sweeney. 

I just don’t think it’s ready for prime time yet!

That’s it for now!

Please check out my 8 step approach for developing a social media program for more ideas on how to use social media.

Also, never forget to reach out to either ask questions or to ask for help from someone like myself! In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog.

I look forward to any and all comments that you may have. I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.

And, remember!

I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me. Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.

I can also be reached at conpsweeney@someddi.com