Are immersive experiences creating a new digital divide?

The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the global digital divide, underscoring that “billions of people remain without the universal human right of internet access.” Humanity is increasingly divided based on ability to access the internet, but also in the ability to be, or desire to be, part of the opportunities being made available by the emerging world of immersive digital environments.

In a recent study conducted by Ipsos, most people in China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed the opinion that the “metaverse is for people like me”. The US (43%) was not far behind, while only 27% in the UK expressed a personal affinity to the metaverse.

The general favourability of these figures hides the wide and diverse differences among demographic sub-groups. We found a significant differences in opinions by age, with a clear line drawn between those over 40 and those 40 or younger. There is also a marked gender divide regardless of age with men registering greater interest and engagement than women.

The Metaverse is for people like me (% Agree) – US data

Age

13 to 17: 51%

18 to 30: 42%

31 to 40: 55%

41 to 55: 30%

Gender(1)

Male: 52%

Female: 34%

[1] The gender question allowed for other options, but the sample size was insufficient for analysis.

Another noteworthy difference is that higher income households and the employed express significantly higher affinity to immersive experiences than lower income households and people not actively in the workforce:

Where you live is also related to how you feel about the metaverse. City dwellers (59% agree) are much more likely to express personal affinity to the metaverse than suburban (33%) or rural (36%) residents.

The survey results show the most active communities for the metaverse are gamers, creators and influencers. Most (58%) say they have participated in an immersive experience, with a third saying it was for gaming, spending time with friends, and watching a show, movie or concert.

Across the surveyed population, there is a wide gap by gender on participation in immersive activity:

Across all respondents, barriers to participation, or greater participation, are cost and familiarity and connection:

A specific and unique facet of immersive experiences is the interplay between the personal self and the virtual self. Here again we see significant differences based on demography. Men are much more likely than women to say they feel comfortable in a virtual world (49% versus 37%).

Level of comfort in the virtual world gives those who struggle with personal identity in the real world a safer place to be themselves. Among those who agree that the metaverse is for “people like me”, 71% agree that they feel more comfortable being themselves in a virtual world than in real life. This is one of the more interesting and potentially troubling findings in the survey. For many, the metaverse could mean virtual human connection becomes their most meaningful human connection. What this means for authenticity in the future is anyone’s guess.

What we know for now is that the combination of engagement, perceived affinity and practical barriers is already resulting in wide gaps in immersive experience adoption. If these gaps are not addressed, the future of digital engagement will be increasingly the domain of specific segments of humanity, limiting the world’s potential to benefit from immersive and Web 3.0 platforms.

There are some signals in the survey data about how to address the emerging divides. For example, although gamers are more familiar and engaged with immersive experiences, others are showing signs of being ready for deeper engagement beyond gaming. This is especially the case for women who are especially interested in other activities including fitness and travel. Encouraging and promoting a broader set of options for the metaverse will help to narrow the divide.

Beyond expanding what can be done on the platforms, other options for bringing more equity to the metaverse include: