The metaverse is a concept that has started to gain a lot of steam in recent years because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up immersing people in a world that is entirely digital. While there are definitely some benefits to this, with the foremost being that it can provide a lot of entertainment and socialization potentially even replacing social media in that respect, the Metaverse also has a very serious problem that might make it thoroughly inhospitable for women.
One of the most pervasive features on the internet, something that most women online would relate to at the very least to a certain extent, is the high rate of occurrence of sexual harassment and the like. You would be hard pressed to find a woman that has not been sexually harassed or perhaps even worse at some point or another in their lives, and much of this happens on the internet which is something that might become even worse in the Metaverse.
After all, the Metaverse is a lot more than just text and images on a screen. It is a complete virtual reality, and something negative that happens there might have a long lasting impact on people in the real world. Some women have already reported being raped in the metaverse. The violation of bodily autonomy does not necessarily require physical presence, since receiving unsolicited lewd pictures and the like is definitely psychologically damaging and in the fully immersive world of the metaverse this damage can increase at a somewhat exponential rate with all things having been considered and taken into account.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the incidences of sexual violence on Metaverse might highlight an even bigger issue. People often don’t feel afraid of saying or doing immoral or unethical things online because of the veneer of anonymity that the internet can provide, and the Metaverse is going to take that to a whole new level. There have been several instances of women being forced to take part in virtual sexual activities in the metaverse in ways that were difficult for them to escape.
H/T: Independent.
Read next: Google is walking with Apple, on the way of restricting apps in tracking policy
One of the most pervasive features on the internet, something that most women online would relate to at the very least to a certain extent, is the high rate of occurrence of sexual harassment and the like. You would be hard pressed to find a woman that has not been sexually harassed or perhaps even worse at some point or another in their lives, and much of this happens on the internet which is something that might become even worse in the Metaverse.
After all, the Metaverse is a lot more than just text and images on a screen. It is a complete virtual reality, and something negative that happens there might have a long lasting impact on people in the real world. Some women have already reported being raped in the metaverse. The violation of bodily autonomy does not necessarily require physical presence, since receiving unsolicited lewd pictures and the like is definitely psychologically damaging and in the fully immersive world of the metaverse this damage can increase at a somewhat exponential rate with all things having been considered and taken into account.
With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the incidences of sexual violence on Metaverse might highlight an even bigger issue. People often don’t feel afraid of saying or doing immoral or unethical things online because of the veneer of anonymity that the internet can provide, and the Metaverse is going to take that to a whole new level. There have been several instances of women being forced to take part in virtual sexual activities in the metaverse in ways that were difficult for them to escape.
H/T: Independent.
Read next: Google is walking with Apple, on the way of restricting apps in tracking policy