If you're *ahem* of a "certain vintage" then you'll get the in-joke of the Post Title (The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades), you'll get the Alien-style face-thing - and you're probably a Gen-Xer wondering what the fuck is going on.
I'm talking about the Metaverse - a place the bigwig tech people are trying to drag us - where they want us to consume and exist in what they call "Augmented Reality" - and I find this worrying.
Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality - What's the Difference?
Well, here's where I think it has the potential to get really ugly!
VR = putting on some fancy glasses and "seeing" different geography - you can move, you can see, you can hear.
Augmented Reality... slippery slope. It's supposed to be VR based upon REALITY - but it has the ability to become very quickly - very murky!
It's supposed to offer us "improved reality" - but whose is the definition of improved? By herding us into what those who write the algorithms believe is "better"? By AI delivering a reality it feels is best for us?
I studied AI at University and this was around the time we saw movies such as the original "Total Recall" and "Demolition Man" - now I fully accept these never won Academy Awards! 😁 But they provided entertainment and a little "thinking". Both depicted futures controlled by corporations with citizens experiencing an "accepted" view and/or participation of the world.
At that age I didn't foresee things really moving in this direction - call me an old softy, but I believe people are generally good.
But... that was perhaps before the march of profit at any cost.
Gen X holds the key
I say this because we are the ones who first got to embrace technology - specifically Social Media.
Those older than us were a little slower to grasp the concepts - but now relish having the world at the fingertips - and those younger than us have never known anything different.
*Poor them! Imagine growing up in an era with photographic evidence of your every fuck-up!
We, Gen X are the ones with the power to push back.
We're the ones who are more confident in who we are, have the $$$ behind us to be able to push back and the knowledge and power of knowing that it was perfectly possible to not only exist - but be happy PRE social media.
You may be feeling like you're the only one having these thoughts right now - but I promise you, you're not.
Metaverse 🤮 is causing those in the online industries to question whether they actually want to be "in" on these developments under which we may end up having very little control. There are lots of debates going on right now - but I was warmed by this:
We don't any of us have the luxury of "wishing" things were different - when we want to execute change, we have to BE THE CHANGE!
If you want to remain connected to a community of women entrepreneurs, creators, online coaches and course providers - but without selling your damned soul 👍 - then I'd love it if you'd come and join us in The Rebel Alliance - early days - you can still smell the paint, it's so fresh - but this is about a community of um... Rebellious women! 🥃
