The Metaverse has been a hot topic during the last 6 months and a lot of experts seem to have an opinion about this concept; yet, only 16% of Americans are able to describe the definition of the Metaverse, according to a survey from the beginning of 2022.
Metaverse is a Hot Topic
Over the last six months, the Metaverse has rocketed from a barely-known concept to the subject of endless opinion, explainers and debate.
Only 16% of Americans could accurately describe Ipsos Mori’s definition of the Metaverse as “a virtual, computer-generated world where people can socialize, work and play” in a survey at the start of the year. A higher 42% were familiar with the general concept. By contrast, 69% said they were familiar with the term virtual reality, and 56% with the term ‘cryptocurrency’.
900% Increase in Job Interest Despite Lack of Knowledge of Metaverse
A Bankless Times study into further data on Metaverse interest and attitudes found that only 16% of people did not think they would ever work within the Metaverse, from a survey of more than 31,000 workers.
A modest 28% of Baby Boomers believed the Metaverse would be part of their work in the near future – rising to 37% in Generation X, 48% of Millennials and 51% of Generation Z.
Bankless Times also found a massive increase of 938% in Google search interest for jobs within the Metaverse.
What Do Jobs in the Metaverse Look Like?
Jobs surrounding the Metaverse will comprise two broad areas.
Firstly, there will be the jobs created for the design, building and maintaining of Metaverse infrastructure; which is probably why searches for ‘Metaverse jobs’ spiked when Microsoft announced its acquisition of interactive games and entertainment firm Activation Blizzard.
Then there will be the existing jobs – from marketers to lawyers, customer service agents to retailers – who begin to incorporate the Metaverse into their working lives. That could mean meetings, conferences and work trips conducted through avatars; Metaverse-enabled shopping experiences in virtual storerooms; team socializing; and much more.
Hugo Feiler, CEO & co-founder at blockchain network Minima, defines the Metaverse as a platform that combines existing technologies like Virtual Reality, Alternative Reality, virtual worlds, digital economies, and new business models within a decentralized system.
