Mark Zuckerberg believes in the metaverse, so do a number of corporations. However, the public has yet to be swayed in that direction. While there is some appeal in a virtual world, most are wondering what working in the metaverse is going to be like and if it will be any better than how it is now.
Metaverse work is planned to be a major part of the future, but new research reveals that working in the metaverse will suck, causing anxiety, stress, and a host of other issues. More so than traditional work.
Working in the metaverse isn’t fun
A study from researchers at Coburg University, the University of Cambridge, Primorska, and Microsoft Research revealed that working in the metaverse yielded bad but “expected” results. The test subjects stated that they received a 35% increase in work task load, 42% more frustration, 11% more anxiety, and 48% increase in eye strain.
If that wasn’t bad enough, two participants dropped out on the first day because they were experiencing migraines, nausea, and anxiety. On the other hand, some subjects admitted that they got used to the VR environment, lessening some of these symptoms, but the fact that employees will be struggling this much is far from ideal.
The researchers admitted that this study was used to replicate a typical VR work environment, so those that find their ideal job through this method might be okay. However, most of us are expecting “typical” work environments so this isn’t exactly getting us excited for the future of labor.
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VR still needs some work
Judging from the reports by PC World and PC Gamer, it’s clear that working in the metaverse is going to take a ton of adjustment. While a good number of us are now working from home due to the pandemic, working on the metaverse via VR is supposed to be more personal and, sadly, stressful.
Hopefully, the research here will lead to improvements all around so that future work in the metaverse will be more comfortable. Granted, most people don’t go to work to be comfy but that doesn’t mean it has to a virtual environment filled with stress. Until then, we’re perfectly fine working on our laptops or office spaces.