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The Conversation
The Conversation
Tom Boellstorff, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine

How we describe the metaverse makes a difference – today's words could shape tomorrow's reality and who benefits from it

metaverse Meta Nick Clegg Facebook
The metaverse might be a work in progress, but a key prototype – the virtual world – has been around for several decades. Screen capture from Second Life by Tom Boellstorff, CC BY-ND

Quick, define the word “metaverse.”

Coined in 1992 by science fiction author Neal Stephenson, the relatively obscure term exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after Facebook rebranded as Meta in October 2021. There are now myriad articles on the metaverse, and thousands of companies have invested in its development. Citigroup Inc. has estimated that by 2030 the metaverse could be a US$13 trillion market, with 5 billion users.

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