Embrace the “Netaverse”

by Luis Miguel Messianu, Founder, Creative Chairman and CEO, Alma

While I love, embrace, and can even say I’m an “early adopter” of new technologies, I’m a bit at odds with the overwhelming overload of Metaverse, NFT’s, bitcoin, crypto and all the advances of our society. Each of these come to us as sharp contrast to what the pandemic opened our eyes to: the importance of humanity, the resilience of humankind, the rearrangement of our priorities: health, family, home, kindness, transparency, and harmony.

So, as we start 2022, a year in which everyone is talking with a sense of anticipation about the “exciting” perspectives of the Metaverse, I want to suggest a slightly different version:

“The Netaverse.”

Let me start by sharing a definition:

La neta = the truth (or more accurately “the nature of things” it also has the connotation of, “that is the way life is”) It is very commonly used among Mexicans.

“La neta” is a very Mexican cultural expression that is the equivalent to “nothing by net,” but it goes much deeper into the essence of what’s real, what’s unequivocally true and unquestionably authentic. Neta translates roughly to ‘truth’ or ‘really?!’ when used as an exclamatory. Say someone gives you some great gossip; a wide-eyed ¿neta? would make for the ideal response. Example.: “Oí que estás embarazada. ¿Es neta?” = “I heard you were pregnant. Is it true?”

As a challenge to those using the Metaverse, I encourage you to think of “The Netaverse,” a real world in which we anchor our lives in what’s true, establishing real and long-lasting connections, one where we can recommit to what made us humankind in the first place. In this world, you can clearly see with your own eyes (no need for special headsets or glasses). It’s a universe with the truth at the core, in which we can be happy with who we are, where we are and what we have, and there’s no need to have a “virtual counterpart of real-life people, places and things.” Let’s invest our efforts in being not avatars, but the quintessential embodiment of generosity, manifested by altruism, empathy, respect, and tolerance. It’s also a tri-dimensional world full of unbelievable experiences.

In this “old world” you won’t be required to turn yourself into your digital twin or your own avatar. Your persona will be precisely your persona, and you can feel very animated and build upon your real character. In other words, you can resemble your fabulous you! This would be our “real reality” without having to augment or make it virtual, and what could be more immersive than that?

So, how can you embrace the Netaverse?:

1. Be yourself. Don’t try to portray yourself or something else as it’s not, especially on social media.
2. Promote more authentic, and in due time, face-to-face connections (nothing replaces good and honest communication.)
3. Be kind to whoever is around you. Karma will pay you back!

Let’s all interact through “The Netaverse” – I invite you to join in! Let’s keep it real. Let’s embrace it. Let’s appreciate the simple things that make us realize that life can be good. That is “La Neta!” That is the type of world I would like to live in, and more importantly, the kind of world I would like to leave for the next generations, starting with my own children.