Goodbye, “IRL,” Hello, “IRL 2.0”: The Metaverse Makes Mondays Manageable (Maybe)

By 2044, the metaverse won’t just be for gamers; it’ll be where we do our taxes, attend awkward family gatherings (from the comfort of our personalized digital avatars), and even experience surprisingly realistic “virtual vacations” – all while simultaneously avoiding actual human interaction, leading to a fascinating paradox of hyper-connectivity and profound social isolation. Expect a booming industry in “metaverse therapists” specializing in digital detox and avatar identity crises.