What Is The Metaverse 2001028224 Article - and - Quiz

What is the metaverse?
By Time USA, LLC, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.03.22

Word Count 596
Level 840L
The metaverse is an expansion of the internet. It allows for a greater blending of our digital and physical lives. Photo: Prostock-Studio/Getty
Images Photo: Prostock-Studio/Getty Images
Cathy Hackl's son wanted a party for his birthday when he turned 9. He asked if he could hold the
party on Roblox. This is a digital platform where users can play and create games.
He and his friends wouldn't meet in person. Instead, their virtual avatars would attend the party
online. An avatar is a figure that represents someone in video games or online.
"They hung out and played and they went to other different games together," Hackl said about her
son's party. "Just because it happens in a virtual space doesn't make it less real."
Roblox is part of the metaverse, a virtual-reality space where users can interact with digital
environments and other people online. Virtual reality is a three-dimensional simulation of a real-
life image or environment.
The term "metaverse" has become popular. Millions of people spend time in virtual spaces like
Roblox. Other virtual platforms are growing, too. For better or worse, we're spending more of our
lives in digital spaces.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Metawhat?
The word metaverse is traced to a science fiction book from the 1990s. However, the metaverse
has been around longer than that. Online communities have existed since the 1980s. Today,
logging into Roblox and playing a game with friends is just as social as most real-world
interactions.
We enter the metaverse through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), or simply on a
screen. Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes, or layers, computer-generated
images onto the real world.
These experiences allow a greater blending of our digital and physical lives. However, these two
worlds are already blended. There's no headset required. Think about the Uber app, which uses
location data, or information, to tell riders where a car is. Or think about Netflix, which studies
what you've watched in order to make suggestions.
But what will the metaverse look like in the future? John Riccitiello is CEO of Unity Technologies.
This is a company that helps make video games. Riccitiello has an idea.
"You've got your goggles on, 10 years from now, but they're just a pair of sunglasses that [has] the
ability to bring you into the metaverse experience," he said. "You're walking by a restaurant [and]
the menu pops up." The possibilities are endless.
The Vision
The metaverse is an expansion of the internet, and there are a lot of internet problems to solve
already. One is hacking, and another is cyberbullying. A future in the metaverse could be tricky,
but many people say it has real benefits. They say it can expand social networks and improve
mental health.
Hackl is a metaverse expert, and she's Latina. As the technology develops, she sees chances for the
metaverse to be more inclusive.
"We need to see people like me in these public-facing roles," she said. "You can inspire a lot more
people to join and say, 'Hey, I am welcome in this metaverse world. I can build.'" For those already
spending part of their life in the metaverse, that building has begun.
Reality Check
Carrie Tatsu has run a business in the metaverse for more than a decade. However, she still wants
her kids to spend as much time as possible in the real world. "It's so important for humans to be
with humans in real life," she said.
Tatsu said that this virtual space will have to give kids outlets "to engage, go smell a flower here,
walk on a trail, have a real conversation with [a] friend. ... Even though you can simulate that, the
simulation is not the same." What do you think?

Quiz
1 Which sentence from the article supports the MAIN idea of the article?
(A) Cathy Hackl’s son wanted a party for his birthday when he turned 9.
(B) Millions of people spend time in virtual spaces like Roblox.
(C) The word metaverse is traced to a science-fiction book from the 1990s.
(D) However, she still wants her kids to spend as much time as possible in the real world.
2 Read the following paragraph from the article.
The metaverse is an expansion of the internet, and there are a lot of internet problems to solve
already. One is hacking, and another is cyberbullying. A future in the metaverse could be tricky,
but many people say it has real benefits. They say it can expand social networks and improve
mental health.
Which statement summarizes the paragraph?
(A) The metaverse has some problems like cyberbullying, but it can also help people’s mental health.
(B) The metaverse is an important part of the internet and it is used by many people around the world.
(C) The metaverse is dangerous because of hackers, so people should be careful when they use it.
(D) The metaverse will change in the future, and it could be challenging for many people to use safely.
3 Read the following sentence from the section “Metawhat?”
However, these two worlds are already blended. There’s no headset required.
What is the meaning of the word “required” as it is used in the sentence?
(A) expected
(B) included
(C) needed
(D) requested
4 Read the following paragraph from the Introduction [paragraphs 1-5].
Roblox is part of the metaverse, a virtual-reality space where users can interact with digital
environments and other people online. Virtual reality is a three-dimensional simulation of a real-
life image or environment.
Which phrase from the paragraph helps the reader to understand the meaning of “simulation”?
(A) users can interact
(B) digital environments
(C) with people online
(D) real-life image

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What is the metaverse?

By Time USA, LLC, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.03.22

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

(B) Millions of people spend time in virtual spaces like Roblox.

2 Read the following paragraph from the article.

Which statement summarizes the paragraph?

3 Read the following sentence from the section “Metawhat?”

What is the meaning of the word “required” as it is used in the sentence?

4 Read the following paragraph from the Introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

(A) users can interact

(B) digital environments

(C) with people online

(D) real-life image

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

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