Pure Telecom research reveals ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­half of adults in Ireland don’t know what the metaverse is

Pure Telecom, the Irish-owned fibre broadband and telecoms company, has announced the results of a survey which found that nearly half of adults in Ireland don’t know what the metaverse is. Awareness of the metaverse was found to be the highest among Gen Z (16-23-year-olds), with 59% of those asked being aware of the technology. This fell to a much lower 28% in the 55-73 age group.

The metaverse is a virtual reality (VR) space that enables users to interact with each other inside a computer-generated environment. Pure Telecom’s national survey – conducted by Censuswide and involving more than 1,000 people in Ireland – found that while the metaverse is yet to catch on with many, others are excited about its potential.

One-in-eight of those surveyed said that they would carry out their entire job in the metaverse if they could. This figure rose to nearly one-in-six for Gen Z, which shows a willingness from the younger generation to embrace the technology and move towards a truly digital workplace.

Showing the potential positive impacts of the technology, more than a fifth (22%) of those asked agreed that the medium will improve online learning and education, while 15% of people said that the metaverse will help them to overcome boundaries that they face in everyday life, such as disabilities, shyness, and social anxiety.

Meanwhile, the survey showed that sometimes, there really is no substitute for the real thing as less than 12% of those surveyed said that they would ‘travel’ in the metaverse as a means of reducing their carbon footprint. And the metaverse doesn’t look set to take the dating world by storm yet either, as only 7% of those surveyed said that they would go on a date in the metaverse.

Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “The metaverse is still in its infancy, having only really been introduced into the mainstream public consciousness in the last couple of years. With that in mind, it is not surprising that it has not yet registered with everyone, while for others – particularly the younger generations – it is truly capturing their imaginations.

“As the future of the metaverse continues to be debated, it is clear that the virtual world is going to grow and play a greater role in our lives. It is fascinating to think of the implications and possibilities of these technologies, particularly for younger people who will grow up with it and get the opportunity to see it develop into areas we haven’t even envisioned yet. Essential for this will be the availability of high-speed broadband to ensure individuals and businesses can experience the truly mind-blowing technologies of the future and start to benefit from them.”

See more stories here.