Imagine every object around you — your phone, your car, even your coffee cup — has its own personality. Like, a table isn’t just a table — it is she. A book? Not just a book — it is he. Even something seemingly neutral, like the metaverse, can be “he”, “she”, and not just “it”.
In English, grammatical gender isn’t really a thing, so personifying technology is rare — unless we’re talking about voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. These are often treated like people. We ask them for help, thank them, and sometimes even scold them.
But why this doesn’t usually happen with virtual reality? Why do people not call metaverses “she” or “he”? That’s a question no one’s answered yet — except for us.
What is the metaverse?
For most, the metaverse is an incomprehensible substance, something like a game. People imagine how they put on glasses or open an application, and instantly find themselves in a place where they can walk, communicate, play, work. Everything is like in reality, but reminiscent of a movie.
In reality the metaverse is an ecosystem of technologies: virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), blockchain and artificial intelligence.
However, all these aren’t necessarily collected together. Rather, the metaverse can be imagined as a network of virtual rooms connected to each other by corridors.
For example, you can quickly move between “rooms”: one moment you are playing, and a minute later you are already at virtual work or walking around an online store. All this should feel as if you are there. Then we can say that you are really in the metaverse.
Why do we need a metaverse?
The graph shows the dynamics of the coverage of various market segments related to the metaverse for the period from 2022 to 2030. Steady growth of metaverse users is expected in all segments — from eCommerce and games to education and fitness. The biggest increase is expected in eCommerce, which will become the main market driver. Source: statista.com
Do you remember the beloved Grand Theft Auto III? Before this part of the game was released, the action-adventure genre remained flat in most cases, and we were fine with it. But then — whoop and we are given a whole three-dimensional world where you can also live, walk, do whatever you want. It was a revolution.
The metaverse is a similar story. However, it is not about “looking” or “clicking”. You are inside the Internet there, you are like a part of it. And the most interesting thing is that even if you leave the metaverse, virtual life still goes on.
However, for now, many see the metaverse as a replacement for the Internet, but not as its development. And this is clear: any new technology at first is perceived like something that simply replaces the old technology.
The Internet is text, pictures, video and maximum video calls. And the metaverse adds volume and presence. You are not just watching a webinar — you are sitting in a virtual auditorium. You are not just flipping through a catalog — you see how the thing fits you or someone else. This is not a replacement, but a logical step forward, like the evolution from a push-button phone to a smartphone.
The problem is that for now, all this looks complicated, expensive and, in most cases, pretentious. Take, for example, avatars — they are still kind of strange, and their clothes resemble costumes from the ‘90s games. But this is normal: technology cannot become flawless at a snap of the fingers.
How we perceive the metaverse
Most likely, the perception of the metaverse depends much on how it is presented. If you look at technology impartially, the metaverse will become just an “environment” — a place where everything depends on the user. Everyone will be able to customize it for themselves: choose how it looks, what functions it performs, how it communicates and what voice it uses.
On the flip side, complex things can be totally humanized. If the interface or voice in the metaverse had some kind of “personality”, people might start thinking of it as “she”. Take Siri or Alexa, for example — people often think of them as women, even though they’re really just voices.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta is more likely to be perceived as a “man”. And here’s why. The basis is technology, business, strict structure and a corporate approach. This is a world that they are trying to build clearly, functionally, with an emphasis on efficiency. This is such a “male” way of thinking: less emotion, more action.
But if you think about it, Meta tries to remain flexible, adaptive, in order to capture the attention of a wide range of users. This is where elements of “femininity” appear — the desire to unite people, to create something cozy and human. Take, for example, the idea of virtual offices or communication in the metaverse — this is already about relationships and emotions, and not just technology.
As a result, Meta is a kind of corporate “androgyne” (an “androgyne” is a person who has both feminine and masculine traits, or is devoid of sexual characteristics at all). Zuckerberg’s metaverse is at the same time strict, like a man in a suit, and flexible, trying to seem closer, like a woman. But still, the project gives off more “masculine” energy, because this world is too focused on practicality and technology.
Holiverse by Lado Okhotnikov
Holiverse is a metaverse created by Lado Okhotnikov, which combines GameFi, DeFi, and virtual reality. The company produces organic cosmetics under the Holisthetic brand, conducts DNA research, and most importantly, is working on a project in which digital copies of a person will live — avatars that predict the body’s behavior to various stimuli.
Along with the rebranding and restructuring of the company in October 2024, Holiverse announced a technology for digitizing DNA and embedding the data into a digital avatar. Thus, the user receives a digital clone that accurately displays the properties of the body.
If we consider the Holiverse metaverse by Lado Okhotnikov from the cosmetics point of view, then this is definitely a “woman”. Elegant, with a good sense of humour, caring and a little economical. The one who knows how to create comfort and to provide what is needed right now.
But if you look at it as a platform for DNA research, then it’s already a ”man”. You know, a middle-aged one, with a beard, dark, pedantic and very attentive to details. It’s important for him to know everything about you: your health, your mood — in general, any nuances matter.
But if we talk about Holiverse as a playground, it is even more complicated. It’s like something undefined — flexible, bright, without clear boundaries. It can be anything: a friend, a companion, or even artificial intelligence that adapts to your mood.
The Spatial metaverse by Anand Agarawala and Jinha Lee
Spatial is a platform that brings people together in a virtual space for work, communication, and creativity. Through 3D avatars, the effect is created that you are really nearby, even if you are thousands of kilometers away. Since 2021, the company has turned to the use of VR headsets and developed a cryptocurrency trend in the NFT art sector, as well as focusing on game development within its metaverse.
If you imagine Spatial as a person, then this virtual reality combines both “male” and “female” features. On the one hand, it seems “masculine” — everything is clear, structured, technological.
But on the other hand, there is also a “feminine” side to it. Spatial is actively used for exhibitions, virtual galleries and creative events. This is a space where emotions, art and beauty are important. And this is the prerogative of girls.
A woman, a man or all at once
As you can see, it is difficult to say for sure who the metaverse really is — a man or a woman. With the introduction of artificial intelligence, everything can become even more confusing. The same platform can seem completely different to two different people. One will think that it is a “man”, the other — a “woman”.
And this is normal, because the task of the metaworld is to adapt as much as possible to each user, to their preferences. All for the sake of making a person comfortable and not causing strange feelings or rejection while he or she is there.
The metaverse should be what people want it to look like — and this is its main advantage.
