Purpose

Metaverse is one of the decade’s most exciting and transformative technological innovations. While the metaverse holds immense promise, it has potential risks and dark sides. This research aims to investigate and identify the crucial dark dimensions associated with the metaverse platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a qualitative phenomenological methodology, the authors interviewed 45 metaverse users to unravel dark dimensions related to the metaverse. Analyzing the themes extracted from the participants' insights revealed an alignment with the underpinnings of the Technology Threat Avoidance (TTA) theory.

Findings

The findings of this study revealed seven major dark dimensions: addiction and dependency, isolation and loneliness, mental health issues, privacy and security, cyberbullying and harassment, digital identity theft and financial exploitation.

Practical implications

The study helps organizations and metaverse platforms understand the crucial dark dimensions of the metaverse. This study concludes by synthesizing prevalent themes and proposing propositions, offering insights for practical application and policy considerations.

Originality/value

This study provides a deeper understanding of the dark side of the metaverse environment from a user perspective using the underpinnings of TTA theory.

中文翻译：

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揭开元宇宙的阴暗和可怕的一面：深入的定性调查

 目的

Metaverse 是十年来最令人兴奋和最具变革性的技术创新之一。虽然元宇宙拥有巨大的前景，但它也有潜在的风险和阴暗面。本研究旨在调查和识别与元宇宙平台相关的关键黑暗维度。

设计/方法/方法

作者采用定性现象学方法，采访了 45 名元宇宙用户，以揭示与元宇宙相关的黑暗维度。分析从参与者的见解中提取的主题表明，这与技术威胁避免 （TTA） 理论的基础是一致的。

 发现

这项研究的结果揭示了七个主要的黑暗维度：成瘾和依赖、孤立和孤独、心理健康问题、隐私和安全、网络欺凌和骚扰、数字身份盗窃和财务剥削。

 实际意义

该研究帮助组织和元宇宙平台了解元宇宙的关键黑暗维度。本研究通过综合普遍主题和提出主张来结束，为实际应用和政策考虑提供见解。

 原创性/价值

本研究使用 TTA 理论的基础，从用户的角度更深入地了解元宇宙环境的阴暗面。