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Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Beth, Account Executive, does a deep dive into representation in the Metaverse and the effect of digital influencers on society’s beauty standards.

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Meta (aka Facebook rebranded) with a virtual replica of himself. If you’ve been online recently, you’ll have heard the word ‘Metaverse’ floating about as well. But what is the Metaverse? And should you actually care? 

Is this the future of the internet? It’s hard to say.

The Metaverse is expected to reach the $800  billion market by 2024 with tech giants like Facebook, – sorry, Meta –  Microsoft, Google and Apple investing buckets of money into making it a reality. The Metaverse is essentially a 3D version of the internet where you can recreate real world activities online. A place where you have an avatar and interact with other people through theirs. A shared virtual space that’s immersive and interactive. Sounds fun, right?

You can be anything or anyone you want in the Metaverse. There’s endless opportunities for self-expression and experimentation, but if social media is anything to go by, the use of filters and the countless photo editing apps already prove that if we can create a more picture-perfect version of ourselves online (I admit, I’m guilty of this), then we will. So what’s to stop this happening in the Metaverse? 

Virtual reality offers up the potential to create the wildest beauty looks you can imagine, but will creating the perfect avatar have a negative impact on self-esteem and consequently leave us more insecure? It’s no secret that social media has been documented in creating additional mental health issues rising amongst avid users, but as more brands adopt the Metaverse, it poses new ethical challenges surrounding diversity and representation.

Digital influencers have been on the rise the last couple of years. People and brands have created CGI influencers who have amassed thousands – if not millions – of followers across social media. Many have worked with big brands, most notably Lil Miquela who has worked with Prada, or Noonoouri who has worked with KKW Beauty and Dior. Pretty Little Thing entered the Metaverse by unveiling their first digital model – a woman of colour –  to bridge the gap between real life and the virtual world. Critics have argued that digital influencers are taking away potential jobs, especially jobs from real people of colour or have questioned how appropriate it is for a white male to create a digital woman of colour. Moreover, the use of ‘digital blackface’, using a black avatar as a non-black person or ‘identity tourism’, a term describing people using an avatar outside of their own identity. 

There’s not just a lack of racial representation, people with disabilities are also an underrepresented social group in the real world, and even more so in digital spaces. Online communities are demanding a change – highlighting that virtual spaces are an opportunity for underrepresented voices who would normally go unnoticed to share their experiences and stories.

But it’s important to be aware of harmful stereotypes when designing avatars. Video games have previously been criticised for focusing on Eurocentric features whilst not having many options when it comes to skin tones or even hair textures. The most recent entry in the Animal Crossing franchise enables users to customise their avatars, giving them the option to add birthmarks and a wide range of hair textures. Greater customisation allows people to feel included and celebrate their features and create avatars who look exactly like them.

If done the right way, the Metaverse could bridge the divide in the physical and online world, and pave the way for diverse representation: the digital world is your oyster. But for now, to general users and brands alike: when it comes to your online presence, remember the decisions you’re making need to be reflected in all aspects of the business. 

Only time will tell how successful the Metaverse will be with shaping the future of inclusivity… and the internet. But let’s be mindful of using digital models in place of real people to celebrate diversity. Because, really, how easy is it for people to identify with a digital ‘person’? Could you? 👀