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Austin Sugden

Professor Perkins

ENGL 1302.AH2

13 March 2023

The Metaverse Persuasive Research Report

In October 2022, Mark Zuckerberg rebranded his popular social networking website

“Facebook” to “Meta.” In addition, he announced that he would be going all in on his latest

project, the “Metaverse:” a world experienced in virtual reality where people can shop, work,

and leisure all within the confines of digital infrastructure. Feedback from the community on its

development has been nothing short of controversial: some claim it will revolutionize the global

economy and enhance the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. However,

unbeknownst to many, the Metaverse could pose significant risks and concerns regarding digital

ownership, cybercrime organizations, government intervention, and avatar attachment.

First and foremost, with the rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in more recent years and

the crypto market recruiting more and more investors every quarter, it’s no wonder there is an

infatuation with owning digital assets. Our culture has been shaped and molded around the

American dream since the 1930s when consumer capitalism was at its worst in history; it began

with the great depression and spiraled into what we know as modern materialism with the rise of

the middle class. Ever since corporate entities and media outlets have influenced the American
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way of life; financial wealth and possession of costly assets have become the universal definition

of success.

As society adapts to the metaverse and they spend more and more time in it each day, it

would be of no surprise that this element of our culture remains consistent within a digital

environment. But how will the American dream manifest itself within the Metaverse? Where

according to Ledger Sebastien Badault, who is the vice president of NFTs and the Metaverse,

“the only thing you can own in cyberspace is… a URL. In today’s Internet, you don’t own

anything.” (Badault) Regardless of where your opinion lies on its development and incorporation

into our lives, it would be wise to consider the potential drawbacks of relinquishing the right to

private ownership upon entering Mark’s virtual world. For instance,le Is this truly the direction

we want our lives to be headed? Will we illude ourselves into thinking that things of digital

origin are limited, and thus susceptible to scarcity? Why then, do we insist on making purchases

in a world other than the one we live in: in a place where nothing is real and nothing holds any

actual value?

Another pressing concern with the introduction of the Metaverse is the potential for

cybercrime organizations to run rampant. While cybercrime is already abundantly prevalent on

the web today, it isn’t difficult to imagine how much more severe the issue can become when we

transition from merely interacting with the internet to becoming entirely engrossed in it:

immersed and vulnerable to attackers who yearn to steal personal data from unsuspecting users.

I’m afraid that the way things are headed there will be little that can be done to oppose

automated money laundering services and cybercrime trade arenas (Jerusalem Post) from
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emerging on the platform. According to the Jerusalem Post, “education and training in

cybersecurity are crucial and there is a lack of experienced trainers.” (Jerusalem Post) In

addition, they also mention that cybercrime trade arenas such as Genisis “allow anyone to buy

tools that will cause damage and services for distributing them.” (Jerusalem Post) Why then do

we feel inclined to enter a virtual world where sensitive information is stolen and sold to the

highest bidder? Where “cybercriminals with advanced tech capabilities now sell any hacker tools

and capabilities that were once the exclusive property of the most sophisticated cyber attackers in

the world.” (Jerusalem Post). Before considering the Metaverse as the potential next direction

that society should head in, it is obvious that more will need to be done to protect users and

businesses from those who intend to use it maliciously.

With all that has been said, it becomes clear that advocating for the Metaverse is difficult

to justify when considering how it will diminish any possibility of private ownership and

encourage the development of cybercrime organizations. Furthermore, even if Meta collectively

decided to focus their efforts on resolving these issues, there exists yet another serious concern:

this time regarding the limited presence of governmental influence within digital environments.

According to Suzor Nicolas in his Journal Article “The Role of Law in Virtual Communities,”

there is “a trend in cyber law theory that attempts to reduce the legitimacy of private governance

to the drawing of borders,” and “these borders tend to delegitimize government intervention in

the practice of governance in virtual communities.” (Nicolas 329) If this trend carries over into

the Metaverse, it would worsen the already problematic situation regarding the rise of

cybercrime organizations and automated money-laundering services because the threat of legal

prosecution may not be a factor. As a nation, we are not prepared to regulate a digital social
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platform run by corporations because the United States Government lacks the authority to

regulate the Metaverse outside of what is already placed on social media outlets like Facebook

and Instagram. Thus, more laws would need to be passed into effect so that Meta doesn’t possess

too much control and authority over the platform. In summary, not only are digital communities

subject to potentially becoming corrupted by cybercrime organizations but also by the very

company that will bring it into existence.

In another light, beyond just sociopolitical factors, one must consider the potential impact

that prolonged time spent in the Metaverse may have on the emotional and mental health of

users. More specifically, as it relates to avatar attachment theory and prior research understood

how social media platforms influence the psychological well-being of those who use them in

today's world. For instance, according to a journal article written by Maria Leena titled “Linking

Identity Theory, Avatar Attachment Theory, And Hyperreal Considerations To

Overconsumption And Self-Fetishization On Facebook,” she claims that a girl who plays video

games described the phenomenon as being “you can get so much into character that pulling

yourself out hurts- that when you’re not in the word you wonder- you find yourself thinking as

the character would at the oddest moments.” (Leena 43) In addition, Leena also notes how

“people identify strongly with their Facebook identity because it is a bodily and psychological

extension of themselves; physically through pictures and psychologically through postings, likes,

and status updates.” (Leena 43) If avatar attachment theory is already observed as significant and

prominent within the realm of Facebook, it cannot be understated how much more of an issue it

could become in the Metaverse when Facebook users are already described as feeling “total
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immersion through their frequency of use and its constant presence in mobile technology.”

(Leena 43).

With all that has been said up to this point, it prompts individuals who are on the fence

about whether or not to advocate for the inclusion of the Metaverse to make a decision, and pick

a side. Now that the information has been laid out and established, and light has been shed on the

potentially adverse consequences- those being loss of private ownership, the rise of cybercrime,

limited government influence, and avatar attachment theory -significantly more thought will

need to be invested in those who yearn to reap its potential benefits, while still maintaining a

functional society and decent quality of life for themselves. All in all, there are many educated

and rational reasons why the public should not welcome Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse with

open arms.

Sources
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“Could the Metaverse Lead to a Spike in Cybercrime?” The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com,

www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-731106. Accessed 18

Feb. 2023.

Korpijaakko, Maria Leena. “Linking Identity Theory, Avatar Attachment Theory, And Hyperreal

Considerations To Overconsumption And Self-Fetishization On Facebook.” Cracking

Facebook: The Importance of Understanding Technology-Based Communication, Brill,

2015, pp. 33–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctv2gjwtgb.7. Accessed

18 Feb. 2023.

“Ledger’s Sebastien Badault: ‘We’re Entering into the Revolutionary Era of Digital Ownership.’”

Maddyness UK, 15 Feb. 2023, www.maddyness.com/uk/2023/02/15/ledgers-sebastien-

badault-were-entering-into-the-revolutionary-era-of-digital-ownership/. Accessed 18 Feb.

2023

Suzor, Nicolas. “The Role of the Rule of Law in Virtual Communities.” Berkeley Technology Law

Journal, vol. 25, no. 4, 2010, pp. 1817–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24118612.

Accessed 18 Feb. 2023.