Social Implications of the Metaverse

The report examines how the metaverse could either bridge or widen existing societal gaps. It highlights opportunities for democratizing education, improving healthcare access, and driving climate action through digital twins and immersive simulations. Conversely, it warns of risks including increased e-waste, high energy consumption from AI and blockchain, psychological issues like addiction and sensory overload, and the potential for a gender-based digital divide. The document advocates for a 'human-first' approach to design and governance to ensure the technology delivers social value.

• The metaverse could either democratize access to essential services or increase segregation if barriers such as connectivity, affordability, and digital literacy are not addressed. It has the potential to provide digital identities to the approximately 1 billion people worldwide who currently lack legal ID.
• Immersive technologies can offer significant clinical benefits, such as treating PTSD in veterans and improving cognitive function in elderly individuals, but they also pose risks of sensory overload, addiction, and body dissatisfaction.
• There is a significant gender gap in metaverse leadership and creation, with 90% of leadership roles in organizations shaping standards held by men, despite women being more likely to implement metaverse initiatives.
• The metaverse presents a dual impact on sustainability: while it can accelerate net-zero goals through digital twins and virtual collaboration, the underlying hardware and software infrastructure drive significant environmental costs.
• Hardware adoption is expected to increase global e-waste, with consumer AR glasses sales projected to grow from 10,000 units in 2019 to 1.59 million by 2024, and VR headsets from 6.1 million in 2021 to 16.44 million by 2024.
• The metaverse is projected to create substantial economic opportunities, potentially contributing more than $3 trillion to global GDP by 2031, driven largely by a growing creator economy.
• Generative AI is lowering the barrier to entry for content creation in the metaverse, allowing users without advanced coding or 3D modeling skills to build immersive experiences.
• The government of Tuvalu is using the metaverse to create the first digitized nation to preserve its culture and administrative services against the threat of rising sea levels caused by climate change.

APA

World Economic Forum (2023). Social Implications of the Metaverse. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Social_Implications_of_the_Metaverse _2023.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Social Implications of the Metaverse. 2023. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Social_Implications_of_the_Metaverse _2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Social Implications of the Metaverse |date=July 2023 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Social_Implications_of_the_Metaverse _2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2023social, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Social Implications of the Metaverse}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Social_Implications_of_the_Metaverse _2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }