Understanding Existence from the Social Media Age to the Metaverse Generation

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, penned an article on the topic of “Metaverse" for Akademik Akıl.

As technology continues to develop without slowing down, discussions about web 3.0 have now begun, following social media, which was considered web 2.0 technology. Although technology changes its environment, we must learn to be the subject, not the object, of technology. Narcissism, the most prominent of 21st-century diseases, mostly manifests through social media. If a person shares themselves on social media platforms more than 3 times a day, it signals narcissism. Many new-age diseases such as social media narcissism, cyberchondria, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), Nomophobia, and Netlessphobia have started to appear. Thus, when various personality traits and behavior types meet social media, the dimensions of the danger are increasingly growing.

With the recent change of Facebook's name to Meta, Web 3.0 technologies and Metaverse discussions have begun. The virtual Metaverse world, presented with its digital game components coming to the forefront, has attracted considerable interest from young people, whom we call the social media generation. Generations are divided into three according to the development of communication technologies: (1) Radio generation, (2) Television generation, (3) Social media generation. Accordingly; Generation X is the “radio generation” (45 years and older), Generation Y is the “television generation” (30-45 years old), and Generation Z (15-30 years old) is the “social media generation”, while those under 15 are called the alpha generation. Now, we will call newborns the “Metaverse Generation” or, in the sense of a digital game generation, the “Gamer Generation” or “Gamers”.

According to Andrew Boshworth, director of Facebook Reality Labs, the implementation of the Metaverse seems possible in 15 years. If this happens, the Metaverse generation will be its users in 15 years. It is foreseen that adolescents between the ages of 15-18 will be the first users and will encounter this world earliest. As we transition from the social media generation to the Metaverse generation, the virtual identities created by social media are being replaced by 3D avatars.

Humanity will become lonely and unhappy with the metaverse!

With the Metaverse, 5D, 6D enters our lives. Thus, it will be a universe where we wander with our own 3-dimensional identities. Humanity will become extremely lonely and unhappy with the Metaverse. This poses a serious task for psychology professionals. Digital technology and global capital will control the world through digitalization. Thus, we might be the last free generation. As we evolve towards a new virtual universe, humanity will face existential crises.

One of the biggest diseases of the age is ‘the disease of meaninglessness’

Today's biggest problem is the emergence of a human character that is insatiable, limitless, self-centered, hedonistic, and lacking in high human values, caring for no purpose other than gratification. The door opened to the world by applications brought by technological advancements has particularly increased young people's questions about existence, deism, and atheism. While technology provides advantages on one hand, it has also made it difficult to choose the right path in the search for a system of values, life goals, and the meaning of life. Questioning one's purpose of existence and finding meaningful answers is important for psychological well-being and mental health. Many young people today experience mental crises because they cannot properly question the meaning of life or find meaning, and one of the biggest diseases of our age is the disease of meaninglessness. Similar to the disease of meaninglessness, aimlessness is also a condition that leads a person to illness.

In the 21st Century, Positive Psychology skills have become vitally important. The principles of positive psychology guide individuals in making sense of existence. Positive psychology is a scientific field of study that presents information and findings on what is positive in life, helping individuals live more fulfilling, happy, and engaged lives. Positive psychology aims to prevent the emergence of mental disorders and promote resilience by focusing on individuals' strengths. It aims for individuals to live their lives to the fullest by developing new skills and resources.

Positive thinking can be learned. Individuals are active beings who possess the necessary inner strength to change and regulate their behaviors, capable of directing their own development. It is possible for individuals to strengthen themselves by increasing their capacity, enjoy life, and make their lives meaningful by focusing on the positive rather than the negative. In understanding existence, understanding emotions, believing that emotions, considered as a scientific category, can be managed, and learning to implement positive emotions to benefit from positive psychology's effect on lifelong well-being are extremely important and have a protective effect on mental health.

A Recipe for Happiness in Humanity's Search for Meaning

Be at peace with yourself; don't strike your own foot with a symbolic knife. A human is a being with both positive and negative aspects; a person who can forgive themselves establishes a harmonious relationship with themselves.

You cannot achieve a result by striking your loved ones with a symbolic knife, meaning by judging and blaming them. You will make them bleed inside; an offended person accumulates anger. An argument arises from a simple matter. Hatred increases. Being harmonious is more profitable than being right.

Either love the work you do or do the work you love. The work one knows well is the most worthy of being loved. Be the one whose opinion is sought on a matter.

Make family a safe space. The refuge quality of family, being sheltered like a tent, alleviates the fear of the future.

Firstly, be generous with kindness to your social circle. An unconditionally loving gaze, a smile, a few kind words, a warm touch immediately show their magical effect.

If possible, do silent good deeds. What you do will return to you in this world through the law of hidden reciprocity, providing inner peace.

Reward yourself; don't be selfish, but don't be unfair to yourself either. Treat yourself justly.

Where there is fairness, there is harmony. Be courageous for justice; if necessary, give up your interests. Being virtuous is more profitable in the medium and long term than being self-serving.

Success is not only academic success; if there is moral success, that life is successful. Information that explains death satisfies the desire for eternity. Like chosen solitude. The happiness of two worlds is not cheap.

Akademik Akıl