What is Metaverse?
[[File:Second Life 11th Birthday Live Drax Files Radio Hour.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of the 2003 video game ''[[Second Life]]'', one of the first metaverse environments]] The '''metaverse''' is a network of [[Virtual reality|virtual places]] that are linked into a virtual [[universe]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Andreas Kaplan: The fairyland of Second Life: Virtual social worlds and how to use them, Business Horizons|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0007681309000895|access-date=2022-06-18|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> It is often described as a future version of the [[Internet]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Facebook bets big on the Metaverse. What is it?|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/metaverse-facebook-virtual-augmented-reality-hubs/|access-date=2021-11-03|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US}}</ref> In the metaverse, customizable avatars and dynamic group experiences will enable a new era of [[social interaction]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein: To Be or Not to Be: Will Virtual Worlds and the Metaverse Gain Lasting Traction?, California Management Review|url=https://cmr.berkeley.edu/2024/08/66-4-to-be-or-not-to-be-will-virtual-worlds-and-the-metaverse-gain-lasting-traction/|access-date=2024-12-08|website=www.CMR.Berkley.edu|language=en-US}}</ref> Weddings, happy hours, and religious ceremonies are increasingly taking place virtually, with individuals participating regardless of their geographic location, especially in the aftermath of [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=So, What Can You do in the Metaverse?|url=https://freebets.ltd.uk/special/the-metaverse-and-sports-betting-the-next-chapter-in-the-evolution-of-online-gambling|access-date=2022-03-14|website=freebets.ltd.uk|archive-date=2022-03-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307161800/https://freebets.ltd.uk/special/the-metaverse-and-sports-betting-the-next-chapter-in-the-evolution-of-online-gambling|url-status=dead}}</ref> Metaverse members will engage with and purchas