Covid 19 outbreak has brought changes in our daily lives. Many things that were natural in the past became unusual. It has been almost hard to travel between countries and to socialize in dense spaces over the past year. Even for students, there is little chance to associate with others. As they have classes online without going to school, it is hard to meet and make new friends. Against this backdrop, the word ‘metaverse’ has drawn attention since early 2021. It is a three-dimensional virtual world without a boundary between reality and virtuality. In the metaverse, all users share their experiences using it in real-time. Even consumption activities such as purchasing their avatars costumes or paying for concerts are carried out just like in the real world. It is not just one type of game.
The metaverse craze is led by Generation MZ, the combination of Millennial Generation and Z Generation. They are familiar with new technology and believe they have a deep understanding of using it. Their desire for sharing their owns with friends led to the metaverse. They recognized it as another kind of space for socialization, not as just the virtual world. They think that the relationships between people in the virtual world are not different from those in the real world.
Zepeto operated by Naver Z is one example of a metaverse service in Korea. In Zepeto, users can create an avatar that looks just like a user, synthesizing it naturally on a picture or virtual background with AR technology. One interesting point is its way of communicating with avatars. Users can change all elements of their character like facial expressions, gestures, and fashion styles as they want. Generation Z gets vicarious pleasure from reflecting the way they want on avatars like idol makeup and luxury clothes. There are also many activities like taking photos, recording videos, dancing and playing games. By interacting with text, voice, and emotions, avatars with individuality can communicate in a virtual world, playing a role as SNS.
There are interesting events going on in the metaverse. Many metaverse services had some partnerships with famous brands and entertainment agencies like SM, YG, JYP, and HYBE. One was a virtual fan meeting of Blackpink in Zepeto. More than 50 million people around the world got signatures and took pictures with Blackpink avatars. People can also wear clothes and accessories of BT21, the BTS character, and visit the BT21 world. It could maximize the immersion and participation of Generation Z based on their characteristics that value bonding. The metaverse acts as a new type of fan platform. There was also a metaverse matriculation ceremony at Soonchunhyang University. The freshmen could participate with their avatars in this ceremony. They listened to speeches and introduced themselves to others like the real ceremony. It is like the continuity across reality and the virtual world.
The plays of Generation MZ in the metaverse doesn’t end here. Now Generation MZ creates and shares new things freely using the metaverse, not just getting the contents. They made new games, fashions, and even drama in the metaverse. The concept of metaverse doesn’t remain as games. For Generation MZ, it became one way of playing and culture.
Nahyun Lee
K-UNIV Reporter
