University of Twente Student Theses
Holding up a black mirror: exploring ethical issues of the Metaverse from a user perspective
Okkerman, M.E.C. (2023) Holding up a black mirror: exploring ethical issues of the Metaverse from a user perspective.
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| Abstract: | The Metaverse, defined as an interconnected 3D virtual reality universe that is parallel and an enrichment to the physical world that users around the world can access and interact with through digital avatars, has been an emerging subject in recent studies in the social sciences and business domain. The Metaverse offers numerous opportunities for society and businesses but also raises criticism, which could be one of the reasons why the development of the Metaverse is not nearing a breakthrough. Therefore, this study explored the most prominent topics on which ethical issues can arise and current experiences of the future Metaverse from a user perspective by combining a systematic literature review with experiences in practice. The topics on which ethical issues can arise that resulted from the systematic literature review were explored in two focus group sessions, which were analyzed with the Gioia method. The exploration of literature and empirical evidence led to the most prominent topics on which ethical issues can arise privacy, societal control, health, social dynamics, misbehavior of users, globalization, and uncertainty. This study contributes to the academic field by delivering empirical evidence and providing a basis for scholars in the further research into the Metaverse. Moreover, this study contributes to practice by providing the big tech companies involved in developing the Metaverse an overview of the most prominent topics on which ethical issues can arise that engages among users, increasing consumers’ technology acceptance. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 70 social sciences in general, 85 business administration, organizational science |
| Programme: | Business Administration MSc (60644) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95127 |
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