On Thursday, Oct. 28, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would be changing its corporate name to Meta, short for the Metaverse. Metaverse is a company that still focuses on connecting people through its apps, like Facebook or Instagram. It’s a new plan to do this is through its virtual reality space.

Metaverse will essentially be an online virtual alternative reality that companies can use for their products. For example, Xbox has already funded  multiple VR games for the Oculus Rift (Facebook’s VR headset), if Xbox starts the trend other gaming companies will need to join in too, such as Sony and Nintendo.

Facebook announcing its corporate name change in the midst of a controversy has stirred debate. Was this to distract Facebooks users? Some say that this was timely because they were under fire for profiting off advertising their customers’ data, which isn’t the first time.

The root of this controversy was thanks to a former Facebook employee who became a whistleblower; she sent out thousands of documents proving Facebook’s addictive algorithms, and data being sold to advertisers through this algorithm, ultimately proving Facebook doesn’t care about the consumer at all, only wanting the most amount of profit possible.

“I think Facebook changing their name right now is not a coincidence. I definitely don’t agree with how they really use our data, they have distanced themselves from their original motive,” said Mikey Hinchman, senior.

Mark Zuckerberg, who is always open to innovation, believes in connecting people, ¨that’s why facebook was created, to connect people.¨ said Mark Zuckerberg. This time the motive is connecting people through the meta verse, incorporating different genres of media. For example gaming.

“I’m not sure if I will use Metaverse, I have to do more research on how it will work. Although I do believe that VR is going to be used far more frequently for things. I personally love playing VR games, hopefully meta verse will make boring tasks fun,” aid Truman Carter, senior and virtual reality gamer. 

Metaverse’s intent is to take over not just the gaming space but the work space too,.n a video, Mark Zuckerberg takes the viewer through different virtual settings. one place was an office, but no one was in the actual same room. They just used Oculus rift headsets on connected through the Metaverse. This could mean Zuckerburg’s Metaverse could be used for remote school working. 

“Facebook is not one of the approved instructional tools, so as a teacher, I don’t think I would use Metaverse. Also, after teaching remotely during covid, I can’t imagine being fully virtually removed from the physical classroom and my. I can’t see how that would be productive and useful to anybody,” said Susan Grady, Senior Composition and German teacher at Hinsdale Central.

Meta is a direction that Facebook chose based on its CEO’S opinion on the future of the internet. It will open a lot of doors for companies to join in and as well as people to contribute to the reality Meta has created. Will this be the future of the Internet?