The metaverse is a synthetic environment in which users interact in various ways. The key feature is the user's immersion in the virtual world and the possibility to experience different forms of interaction. The shift into the virtual realm of social interactions in the metaverse introduces a very important complexity in the study of human behavior. Modern immersive virtual reality technologies represents sometimes exciting tools for addressing the complex problems of contemporary life, like telerehabilitation, distance and continuous learning, entertainment and social interactions. This new way of interacting with others, also due to the characteristics of the hardware used and the type of stimuli the user receives that isolate him or her from the real context, can lead to forms of deviance and even, sometimes, to crime.In recent years, the word Metaverse has increasingly entered people's daily vocabulary, a clear sign of the changes taking place in modern society. The analysis of human behavior in the context of Metaverse, allows scientists to study the effects of such innovative instruments in the way they relate to each other, work, and in the transformation of affective relationships. Some effects of such a deep immersion have also been observed in recent times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the technological innovation involved, the metaverse is a candidate to magnify both the positive and negative aspects and has become a fascinating study area. Our goal is to understand the dynamics of emotions and the repercussions on the personality of individuals that take place in the stimulating environment of the Metaverse. The purpose of this Research Topic is to analyze the effects of the Metaverse on human behavior. In particular, we seek to understand under what conditions it is possible to make the Metaverse's effects on human behavior controllable in order to prevent forms of deviance and crime. The collection welcomes articles and papers analyzing the effects of Metaverse and synthetic Immersive Virtual Reality environments on human behavior, trying to highlight the merits and possible criticalities of these technologies with a focus on future developments and the expected evolution in the short and medium term.The following papers are welcomed in this collection: Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review, Clinical Trial, Case Report, Community Case Study, and Conceptual Analysis.
The metaverse is a synthetic environment in which users interact in various ways. The key feature is the user's immersion in the virtual world and the possibility to experience different forms of interaction. The shift into the virtual realm of social interactions in the metaverse introduces a very important complexity in the study of human behavior. Modern immersive virtual reality technologies represents sometimes exciting tools for addressing the complex problems of contemporary life, like telerehabilitation, distance and continuous learning, entertainment and social interactions. This new way of interacting with others, also due to the characteristics of the hardware used and the type of stimuli the user receives that isolate him or her from the real context, can lead to forms of deviance and even, sometimes, to crime.In recent years, the word Metaverse has increasingly entered people's daily vocabulary, a clear sign of the changes taking place in modern society. The analysis of human behavior in the context of Metaverse, allows scientists to study the effects of such innovative instruments in the way they relate to each other, work, and in the transformation of affective relationships. Some effects of such a deep immersion have also been observed in recent times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the technological innovation involved, the metaverse is a candidate to magnify both the positive and negative aspects and has become a fascinating study area. Our goal is to understand the dynamics of emotions and the repercussions on the personality of individuals that take place in the stimulating environment of the Metaverse. The purpose of this Research Topic is to analyze the effects of the Metaverse on human behavior. In particular, we seek to understand under what conditions it is possible to make the Metaverse's effects on human behavior controllable in order to prevent forms of deviance and crime. The collection welcomes articles and papers analyzing the effects of Metaverse and synthetic Immersive Virtual Reality environments on human behavior, trying to highlight the merits and possible criticalities of these technologies with a focus on future developments and the expected evolution in the short and medium term.The following papers are welcomed in this collection: Original Research, Systematic Review, Methods, Review, Clinical Trial, Case Report, Community Case Study, and Conceptual Analysis.