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    • May 20, 2022
    • 4 min read

Beware of the Metaverse ‘experts’



They are the social media ‘gurus’ of the 2010’s - but this time they have social responsibility on their shoulders.



As with every new emerging technology moving through the hype stage, we see more and more people elevating themselves to positions of grandeur as “Metaverse Experts”.

Something you may be familiar with when Facebook went mainstream in the mid-2000s, where the “Social Media Guru” became an actual job title, swap out the saffron angarkha and incense, the search for inner peace, a flat white coffee and fake spectacles; plug in the search for more engagement and likes.


There have been many positives of social media, yet it’s created the most isolated and lonely generation in history.


We/you? - the people behind creating whatever the Metaverse will be (and it will be amazing) - have a huge responsibility to address this at speed to reduce this isolation.


The metaverse is a single word to describe the future of online interaction with meaning. It has the potential to touch every industry and facet of our lives. This means we will need to consolidate learnings from multiple industries and cultures to make sure we don’t make the same early mistakes twice and ensure that we bring human connection and responsability back into the core of every digital experience.


As a millennial digital native parent creating digital experiences for over 16 years - I am passionate about this for my kid’s generation. I am also fortunate enough to find myself in a position to make real change. So let’s lean into this a bit…


If we are creating a virtual world with its creator economy, digital economy and social behaviour, it strikes me that no one single person/guru/organisation can truly help you make the right decisions; this will take economists, sociologists and behavioural scientists to build it in the right way.


Let’s take a look at a comparable shift in digital behaviour, Facebook, as an example, gaining real traction and still does, became the town square of the internet, connecting people and, most importantly, focusing on people, fantastic but where did it go wrong? Fast forward 10 years now, it’s exposed its users to layers of corporate irresponsibility with devastating social impact. The single worst phrase I’ve ever heard from any CEOs’ post-exposure PR statements was“We acted within the bounds of the law”. This is all too common and a terrible excuse for not putting humans and social responsibility at the core of the business. How not fall into this trap?


How to build on the current excitement/interest and opportunity without creating a monster… we don’t have the exact answer, but we think we know what should be at the heart of it, - people. And we can look to past learnings to plot the future.


My advice - challenge the expert on what should be done, not on what could be done; if they are an expert, you will learn something new and if they're not, well time to find a real one.

To drive this home, the bar for entry to this illustrious title is to simply read online posts and repost other people’s work. Please tread carefully here; you need a rounded approach.

My message here is quite simple - The role of “Metaverse Expert” needs to be unpacked into the many roles that have yet to be identified/created and formed into specialisms and crucially governed. The true challenge is in the weeds of technical bureaucracy that will keep our young kids safe and fulfilled.


To help with the takeaway message - here is a list of things to help with self-regulation to support everyone in navigating the crazy ahead.

  1. Promote and get involved in web consortiums

  2. Promote and get involved in groups focused on standardisation

  3. Promote and get involved in EU regulation of online safety and privacy

  4. Challenge your Metaverse Expert…

    1. What is their policy on social/digital responsibility?

    2. How many hours have they engaged in the technology they are evangelising?

    3. Do they use and approve of what they are promoting, i.e - see past the “cool tech” and why?

    4. What is their expertise/experience in online social responsibility? What is their stance on the subject?

    5. What should you NOT be doing, and why?

  5. Ensure your expert…

    1. Talks about the future of online safety and how to have a positive impact on this.

    2. Talks about Developers Code of Conduct - power is shifting to those who code - how are these people being regulated or regulating themselves.

    3. Focus on technology that enables deeper human connection

  6. Talks to you about the pros and cons of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO). These may sound liberal or even anarchistic, shifting real power to the hands of the user - but these should be seen as vehicles that absolve responsibility and accountability from the founders. Community regulation is OK, but if the community decide to become extreme right-wing racists… what regulation is in place to govern this?

Groups to get involved with


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