Building a mindful metaverse
GamesBeat Summit 2022 returns with its largest event for leaders in gaming on April 26-28th. Reserve your spot here!
Something we don’t really talk about too often, when it comes to digital spaces, is how to make sure they’re healthy. We can go on about how to make virtual worlds fun, or entertaining, or economically viable. Discussions about what kind of systems need to be in place to keep things civil, and moderated, are an ongoing conversation.
But we don’t really consider the mental health side of it. Sure, there are warnings in lots of software. Take breaks, get some fresh air, stretch and hydrate. Where’s the digital world equivalent of a doctor’s office?
Obviously the kinds of issues that are present inside a metaverse are different from the real world. Physical health isn’t really the issue; take off the headset and deal with the problem. Mental health, though, should be way more of a focus.
You’re stepping into VR. Your form is a digital avatar. It’s ultimately inconsequential. Your mind, though? Your mind is the most important part of yourself in there. When things happen to your avatar it stops right there. It’s just an avatar. But an unbalanced mind transcends that physical/digital barrier.
Keeping it healthy should be way, way up the list of things to accomplish with the Metaverse.
“If all we build are virtual malls that you can take your digital twin to, to buy digital sneakers,” said Nanea Reeves, CEO of Tripp, speaking at GamesBeat Summit 2022. “We might as well throw the towel in and say that we suck.”
Reeves is the founder of Tripp, a digital wellness platform with a focus on mobile and VR platforms. The software offers dozens of meditative experiences, with a regularly updated catalog. It lets users customize
Read more on venturebeat.com
