In 1992, the American author Neal Stephenson imagined in “The Virtual Samurai” a universe parallel to physical reality in which citizens interact as avatars. Its name: Metaverse. Reality has now caught up with fiction under the impetus of Mark Zuckerberg and its Silicon Valley colleagues. In May 2021, the boss of Meta told the site CNET that the metaverse will allow Internet users to immerse yourself in virtual reality rather than just experiencing it behind a screen.
Most skeptics wonder however “if the Earthlings will be there”. The McKinsey firm provided some answers by interviewing more than 1000 consumers aged between 13 and 70 on their understanding of these digital universes. While there is not yet a universal definition of the metaverse, 47% of respondents are able to describe it using keywords like “immersive” et “interactive”.