Author: Jana Serfontein

Compared to developing nations, a recent report by Ipsos has found that only 44 percent of Australians are familiar with the metaverse.

An #Ipsos Survey for the #WorldEconomicForum finds the global public divided in their level of excitement about the new technologies, but most agree it will impact their lives. https://t.co/TcQt8i5voY #globaladvisor #virtualreality #augmentedreality #socialmedia #metaverse

— Ipsos Australia (@IpsosAustralia) May 26, 2022

In a global survey on the state of new technologies around the world, Ipsos found that people across the planet have different levels of excitement around technology, however almost all agree that it has and will continue to profoundly impact their lives.

Less than half the Australian cohort surveyed (44 percent) expressed familiarity with the metaverse, while only 36 percent expressed positive feelings about engaging with the metaverse in their daily lives.

Zooming out, roughly 50 percent of adults across 29 countries said they were familiar with the metaverse and had positive things to say about engaging with it:

Key Australian Findings

Some of the more interesting findings in relation to Australians surveyed include:

• 80 percent said they were familiar with virtual reality (VR), compared to 51 percent of those familiar with augmented reality (AR);
• males tended to be much more positive toward extended reality relative to females (42 percent vs 29 percent); and
• over the next decade, participants surveyed saw the metaverse applications as having the biggest impact to include virtual learning (65 percent), digital health resources (61 percent), and digital entertainment in virtual reality (60 percent):

Developing Nations Ahead of Australia

Unsurprisingly, there were vast differences in both metaverse familiarity and excitement, depending on demographics, nationality and socio-economic factors.

Interestingly, excitement about extended reality is significantly higher in emerging countries than it is in most high-income countries. In addition, levels of familiarity with VR, AR and the metaverse show a similar pattern. Ipsos’ Australian director, David Elliott, noted that:

The findings from this latest global survey show that Australia is well behind a lot of countries around the globe in terms of our familiarity with extended reality and our feelings towards it.

David Elliott, director, Ipsos Australia

Elliott added: “What we know from other research is that as familiarity improves, so too does the potential for trust and positivity. As we hear more about these technologies and learn more about them, it is likely we will become more positive about them and their potential to hopefully have a real impact on our lives.”

Despite Australians lagging behind in crypto awareness, according to one recent report, one forward-thinking indigenous community has embraced the metaverse in a big way and established its own cultural embassy and digital currency.