GD Topic: Metaverse and Future

Students participating in any GD where the topic is metaverse, need to be rational and must approach the topic from a multi-pronged approach. The pros and cons must both be assessed. Let us discuss use of Metaverse as a GD topic.

By Aritro Dasgupta

Ever since the advent of ChatGPT, the talk of AI and automation has become mainstream. This topic used to be the domain of tech-geeks or doomsday speakers, but now it is here and nowhere to go. Similarly, another topic that has gripped the public attention is the metaverse. This is quite a misunderstood topic, so any Group Discussion (GD) where metaverse is the theme, will need to be tackled rather carefully by the aspirants. Let us all first understand what exactly is metaverse, before we can discuss any merits or demerits of the same or worry about its future implications.

In short, metaverse is a virtual world in itself that imitates the real world. It seeks to provide all real-world possibilities, but through the prism of a digital screen. Originally popular for video games, now metaverse encompasses a whole set of services that go with it. From training and development, to research and analysis, and from music concerts, to live sports matches, there is a whole set of activities one may pursue on metaverse. But such a diverse range of choices also brings with it, a unique set of challenges as well. There are privacy concerns, and fears of employment opportunities being lost.

Students participating in any GD, need to be rational and must approach the topic from a multi-pronged approach. The pros and cons must both be assessed. Students would be well-advised to keep their volumes in check and not shout at the top of their voice, as is often understood to be a key game-changer for GDs. Shouting is not a game-changer, rather it can be the reason for an individual’s or an entire group’s disqualification, if it goes beyond a certain level. The aspirants must also quote data from reliable publications and official sources, in order to provide credibility to their claims.

These candidates must also steer clear of overtly controversial tones. At times, one will need to navigate through these complex channels, but all this needs to be done, while maintaining the decorum of the forum. A discussion on metaverse is unlikely to spark major controversy or personal remarks, which is why it could be a safe and apt topic for a GD. More possibly incendiary topics may instead be cast under the WAT (Written Ability Test) bracket. Many B-Schools have opted out of this mode of student selection, though many have still retained the format. Some had put a stop to GDs during the peak of the various lockdowns over the last few years, but have since reintroduced post re-openings.

Let us now in detail understand some of the positive as well as negative implications for the use of metaverse in the near future.

Use of Metaverse: Pros

Following are some of the key advantages for the future to using metaverse:

1. It can reduce accidents in many hazardous occupations, as the professionals can undergo intensive training using metaverse.
2. For non-hazardous but tricky tasks too, metaverse is increasingly being tapped into by companies for their training and development needs.
3. Scientists are undertaking several research projects under the comfort of this virtual world, to see how situations work out.
4. Social scientists too are studying human behaviours using this.
5. While the fear of job losses could be real, there is also tremendous scope for creation of many new streams of jobs that will employ perhaps millions around the globe.
6. As a mode of entertainment, there is very little to stop metaverse, as it is being widely adopted for sports tournaments, gaming, music concerts and live shows.
7. Metaverse has further given way to the trade of NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens), which can track ownership changes using the blockchain technology.

Use of Metaverse: Cons

Let us now consider some of the key disadvantages that metaverse could bestow on the larger human populations:

1. There is a fear that tapping into these virtual modes, many companies and event organizers would simply reduce their costs and do away with live physical shows, leading to job losses to scores of people. Inequality too could rise further as a result.
2. Metaverse can also lead to an addiction of sorts not previously encountered. This can have a hugely negative impact on children and teenagers especially but also on others, at a time when they should be learning everyday and work towards fulfilling their career goals.
3. There are a lot of privacy concerns, as people need to share a lot of data while using this.
4. Energy requirements are also massive, thus putting a further strain on the planet’s already depleting resource base.
5. A lot of violent tendencies have been observed on people regularly making use of these virtual modes, as a lot of the gaming especially on these platforms, is centered around wars and crimes.
6. Metaverse could further enforce the already progressing winner-takes-all culture that has pervaded most digital businesses, where the lack of location factors means that the biggest of players can capture a far larger chunk of the market than would have otherwise been possible.
7. There are health concerns from VR (Virtual Reality) hangovers that are being frequently experienced now, especially among youngsters.

The above points pretty much point out the pros and cons of using metaverse in the world of business and for personal use. Students must pick and choose relevant points from these and maybe add more of their own. Their responses mut be balanced and a clarity of vision must reflect. These qualities are bound to impress any B-School panel, which has been given the hard task of choosing a final list of students.

About the Author:

Aritro Dasgupta is a Teacher, Trainer and Content Writer. He has taught at several leading colleges and coaching institutes in both India and the UAE. Several of his students have finished in the top 10 of various national level exams such as CLAT, AILET and DUJAT. He is also a prolific content writer, having written for several leading publications in India, while currently, also working for one in the USA.

 

 

 

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