Amid months of hot water, news broke that Facebook would be changing its name. While the social media platform it’s known for well keep the original name, the overarching umbrella would be altered.
During the, presumably, last Facebook Connect conference, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed the company’s new name: Meta. In Greek, Meta means “beyond”. It’s also a reference to the dystopian sci-fi concept “The Metaverse” that Zuckerberg wishes to make real.
Facebook is now Meta, overlords of The Metaverse
The company’s shift from the iconic Facebook to Meta is said to better “encompass” the company’s vision for the future. Previous reports have also stated that this name swap is part of a plan to drown negative press and save the company.
The Metaverse is a currently fictional concept that merges social media, gaming, virtual reality, work and consumerism. As it so happens, Zuckerberg’s company is already very familiar with all those concepts.
Despite Facebook already encompassing those key areas under its very wide umbrella, Zuckerberg said its name doesn’t represent the company’s plans. The current brand couldn’t “possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future,” he said.
“Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse company and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we're building towards," he continued. “We're now looking at and reporting on our business as two different segments, one for our family of apps, and one for our work on future platforms.
Read More: What is the difference between Metaverse and Multiverse?
Will this work?
The Metaverse is proposed as the next great step for the Internet and human connection. However, the concept is dystopian in nature. Everything from socialisation to shopping would be done through this single platform.
Meta’s promise would require everyone to have some form of Virtual, Augmented or Mixed Reality device to participate. As it just so happens, Meta creates those devices, and they are getting cheaper.
The concept is likely to work, at least partially, but will it be enjoyable? Only time can tell.
Read More: Metaverse Games: Are Roblox and Fortnite metaverses?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
News