Half of adults in Ireland do not know what the Metaverse is, according to a new survey.
The study, which was carried out by broadband company Pure Telecom, asked people about their knowledge of the Metaverse, a virtual reality world that allows people to meet and interact in interconnected 3D digital spaces.
Awareness of the medium was found to be the highest among 16 to 23-year-olds at 59%.
This fell to just 28% in the 55 to 73-year-olds age group.
The survey of more than 1,000 people in Ireland was conducted by Censuswide and found that while the Metaverse is yet to catch on with many, others are excited about its potential.
One in eight of those surveyed said that they would carry out their entire job in the Metaverse if they could.
This figure rose to nearly one in six among younger people.
More than a fifth of those surveyed agreed that the Metaverse will improve online learning and education, while 15% of people said that it will help them to overcome boundaries that they face in everyday life, such as disabilities, shyness and social anxiety.
Less than 12% said that they would 'travel’ in the Metaverse as a means of reducing their carbon footprint and just 7% said that they would go on a date in the virtual world.
CEO of Pure Telecom, Paul Connell, said: "The Metaverse is still in its infancy, having only really been introduced into the mainstream public consciousness in the last couple of years".
"With that in mind, it is not surprising that it has not yet registered with everyone, while for others, particularly the younger generations, it is truly capturing their imaginations," Mr Connell said.
