I remember when I first got into the metaverse, I thought it was everything. I was so excited about the possibilities, you know? I was going to build a new life, a better life, in a virtual world where I could be anyone I wanted. I spent so much time customizing my avatar, buying virtual clothes, and even building a small digital home. It was like a new frontier, and I was one of the pioneers.
One day, I was sitting in my virtual living room, looking out at the pixelated sunset, and I got a notification. My virtual landlord was raising the rent on my digital land. I scoffed at first, I mean, it’s not like they have to pay for upkeep or anything. Then I realized something. I was paying real money for something that wasn’t actually real. I could have used that same money for a weekend trip, a nice dinner with friends, or even just some new books.
I took off my headset and looked around my real living room. It was a mess. There were clothes on the floor, dishes in the sink, and dust bunnies in the corners. I had spent so much time making my virtual home perfect that I had completely neglected my real one. That’s when it hit me. The metaverse wasn’t an escape; it was just another chore. It was another thing to maintain, another bill to pay, and another way to ignore the things that really mattered in my life.
I decided to stop. I turned off my computer, put my headset in a drawer, and went outside. I felt the real sun on my face and a real breeze on my skin. I went for a walk and saw my neighbor working in their garden. They smiled and waved at me, and I felt a connection that was so much more real than anything I had ever experienced in the metaverse. I realized that the real world, with all its messiness and imperfections, was the only world that truly mattered to me. And honestly, it’s way more interesting.
I thought the metaverse was my future, but it just fizzled out was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.