Sociology of Metaverses : virtual worlds as public/private spaces and cyberspaces

Abstract

(Excerto) "Metaverse" is a peculiar term meaning a virtual world, often created as a computer/Internet 3D space-time, where users can embody avatars, i.e. virtual actors, to represent themselves within a social digital life. The aim of this text is to suggest a sociological reflection on metaverses, con-sidering these virtual worlds as new social scenes where public/private spaces and cyberspaces converge and diverge. Public/private territories are frequently edified within social networks. However, the genealogy of metaversical virtual space-time should not analyze only pre-modern and modern social networks, but also digital social networks within Web 2.0 and Web 3.0.