Exploring the Darkverse: A Multi-Perspective Analysis of the Negative Societal Impacts of the Metaverse
Исследование «Тёмной стороны» метавселенной: многоперспективный анализ негативных общественных последствий метавселенной
2023-06-02
SCID: 54.1/tbgkumeq
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Metaverse dark sidefinancial crimesmental healthmisinformationprivacy
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Abstract (AI)
The Metaverse has the potential to form the next pervasive computing archetype that can transform many aspects of work and life at a societal level. Despite the many forecasted benefits from the metaverse, its negative outcomes have remained relatively unexplored with the majority of views grounded on logical thoughts derived from prior data points linked with similar technologies, somewhat lacking academic and expert perspective. This study responds to the dark side perspectives through informed and multifaceted narratives provided by invited leading academics and experts from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The metaverse dark side perspectives covered include: technological and consumer vulnerability, privacy, and diminished reality, human-computer interface, identity theft, invasive advertising, misinformation, propaganda, phishing, financial crimes, terrorist activities, abuse, pornography, social inclusion, mental health, sexual harassment and metaverse-triggered unintended consequences. The paper concludes with a synthesis of common themes, formulating propositions, and presenting implications for practice and policy.
Key Findings
1
Expert and academic multifaceted narratives identify specific risks including privacy loss, diminished reality, and human–computer interface vulnerabilities.
2
Social harms highlighted include abuse, pornography, sexual harassment, social exclusion, and negative mental health consequences.
3
The Metaverse enables new and enhanced criminal activities such as identity theft, phishing, financial crimes, propaganda, terrorism, and invasive advertising.
4
The Metaverse may produce a wide range of negative societal impacts across technological, social, psychological, and criminal domains.
5
The study synthesizes common themes into propositions and presents implications for practice and policy to address these dark-side risks.
Research Object
The Metaverse as a socio-technical ecosystem
Research Subject
Negative societal impacts and harms including technological and consumer vulnerability, privacy loss, diminished reality, identity theft, invasive advertising, misinformation, financial and terrorist crime, abuse, social exclusion, mental-health harms, sexual harassment, and other metaverse-triggered unintended consequences
Publication Details
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2023-06-02
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