Joe Rogan has raised concerns about Mark Zuckerberg’s upcoming Metaverse VR world, claiming the online space could be “overwhelmingly addictive” for users once they test the waters.
Zuckerberg and Meta, his social media company that used to be called Facebook, are planning to create an entire virtual realm — with the buzzword “Metaverse” leading all conversation.
The plans conjures images from fiction, that of a society which has jumped into VR full-time. Digital hangouts, the new workplace — even concerts and entertainment would all take place within the Metaverse.
It’s this kind of reality that Rogan is wary of as Meta is going full-steam ahead with plans to invite billions of people to their online future.
However, questions about the current issues the company is facing, as well as its potential to be “overwhelmingly addictive”, has Rogan concerned.
Rogan claims Zuckerberg’s Metaverse is a “crazy idea”
“People are going to realize that this is a crazy idea,” he said on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast on November 9.
“You’re going to give your life to some sort of augmented or virtual reality world that’s created by a guy who’s involved in this company whose algorithms are sowing the seeds of distrust and hate.
“But now we’re going to let him take over what you see and feel. Because you’re going to have this new company that’s virtual reality based.”
The popular podcast host said people would be so invested in the Metaverse, should it succeed, that it’d become “overwhelmingly addictive”.
“When you’re dealing with what’s possible now, I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop people from doing it because it’s going to be so overwhelmingly addictive,” he said.
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“Look at how many people are just addicted to looking at their Instagram.
“The dopamine hit that you get from looking at a phone is minimal, but people are completely all-in on it.”
These concerns will only be amplified as technology improves, Rogan claims.
“If you could go into the future [and compare with what’s] available now with these insane video graphics, the Unreal engine, and move yourself in the future; yeah, it’s going to be indistinguishable.”
Rogan also fears, should the Metaverse ever shut down, that people will lose everything.
“The power grid is so vulnerable that if someone just detonated the power grid all this stuff stops and then you have no life,” he said.
“You’ve invested your life in this augmented world, in this virtual world.
“But this virtual world, all you have to do is pull the plug and it’s out. And it’s out for millions of people.
“It’s the equivalent of dropping a nuclear bomb on a culture.”