Metaverse: Is it cause or effect? However, when evaluated from a scientific perspective, an important question remains to be answered. Does digital use cause schizotypic tendencies, including delusions and mental disorganization, or do those with such tendencies become users of digital technologies? Although the first option is very scary, both possibilities are very dire in terms of the metaverse.
A study revealed that schizotypic people have a close relationship with the virtual world, especially with games6. It is predicted that approximately 2 billion people will be included in the system, and when the rate of people with serious psychiatric problems in the society is evaluated together with the five per thousand we gave above, one million people will need the service of the health system every day.
In a study examining 83 people playing multiplayer online games, the schizotypic behaviors of the participants were evaluated. It has been observed that those who show high schizotypal behavior in the game use digital technologies to a greater extent. However, the most striking finding of the research was the observation that those who showed high schizotypic behaviors in real life exhibited these behaviors less during the game. Researchers have interpreted this as people with schizotypic tendencies turning to games and the digital world to escape their real problems. This result suggests that visits to the other universe will encourage people who cannot connect with real life to turn to this universe.
For those with schizophrenia-like symptoms, the other universe offered by the metaverse will be a safe haven for those who want to escape from real life. It will be experienced and seen how the afterlife will affect the lives of people who are considered “normal”. The likely outcome is that the virtual world will disconnect people from reality, distract them from their responsibilities, and delusional and psychotic symptoms will become more common in the general population.
Conclusion
If expected, different game, entertainment, education and most importantly communication models will emerge, and with these, new behavioral models will emerge. And there’s no manual yet on how to manage them. Perhaps this will be the most fun and exciting part of the journey we are on.
Commercial life will gain a new medium, different areas of expertise will appear for each feature on the platform and coaches will appear who will try to convince us that you cannot be successful without them. However, when we evaluate the above findings, we should not forget that a digital technology company, in addition to its fancy promises, is also ready to launch a product that has a destructive potential on public health, without adequate scientific preparation regarding its risks.
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