Over the past few decades, the new word “metaverse” has become a hot spot, and the rapid development of emerging technologies has changed the habits of consumers about smartphones. So, will the metaverse end the smartphone era?

With the rise of the Internet and social media, smartphones and the Internet has been constantly updating and iterating in just a few decades. All new technologies emerge as sellers, marketers or content creators rely on them to change their overall business model in order to continue to capture the attention of relevant consumers.

Now, the metaverse could be the next challenge, an emerging technology that has the opportunity to once again rewrite the rules of how people engage with the Internet.

The Metaverse is Rapidly Evolving and Gaining Popularity

While most companies are still trying to understand what the metaverse is and why anyone would pay for it, some are already taking it seriously and don't want to miss out on the next Internet revolution.

Big companies like McDonald's are starting to invest in their metaverse, using virtual technology to enhance their interactions with customers.

In other words, McDonald's has filed a trademark application in order to secure incremental orders for their own, and consumers will be able to place orders in a virtual world.

Virtual fast food restaurants not only signal that virtual worlds are continuing to grow in size and popularity, but also that large companies are beginning to realize that the immersive effects of virtual worlds may allow everyone to abandon the previous form of communication between businesses and their customers: the second screen.

Will the Metaverse Put an End to the "Second Screen"?

Mobile devices such as phones and tablets, also known as "second screens," are a major shift in digital marketing, and they have become the primary communications, marketing, commerce and experience engines that have driven many sectors of the economy over the past 15 years.

The first screen, television, has become a very passive experience for the majority of consumers. Gone are the days when people would sit in front of the TV for hours and be immersed in it.

Even today, when someone wants to watch TV, they combine it with a second screen activity, such as swiping their phone, playing a game, or watching a computer while watching a TV show ......

Unlike most digital experiences today, the future of the metaverse will be enabled by hardware that allows users to be fully immersed in the experience. When entering a virtual world with an eye-patch device like the Oculus Quest, it is unlikely that anyone will want to hit the pause button and play with their phone instead.

For those who have not had the opportunity to experience virtual worlds, this may be difficult to imagine, but it is clear that this new world will become "addictive" in the future.

This will pose a challenge to companies building entire business models around mobile devices. Why would a user send a friend or share a tweet when their followers are not on the phone?

The emergence of the meta-universe puts the second screen at risk.

Traditional Company System Needs to be Prepared for the Metaverse Era

While people don't believe the second screen paradigm will disappear in the next five years, companies must be prepared for this shift.

Assuming that the metaverse could be the "disruptor" of the next era, the first potential victim would be the second screen and the industry built around it.

A recent Gartner study found that by 2026, 25 percent of people will spend an hour a day in a virtual world, but only 30 percent of brands may be able to offer services in a virtual environment.

Companies need to start thinking seriously about the metaverse business model to determine if their own growth will be impacted and how they can find ways to engage with the next generation of consumers.

The metaverse is not a game; instead, it's a whole new marketplace that blends experience and e-commerce in new and interesting ways.