Analysing the public's beliefs, emotions and sentiments towards Metaverse workplace: A big-data qualitative inquiry

The Metaverse is gaining attention as a potential future workplace, and advancements in VR/AR technologies are set to revolutionise how we work and collaborate. Extensive research using big data is still needed to fully comprehend the public's perception of this emerging field. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT), and Social Presence Theory (SPT), this study seeks to fill this knowledge gap. Using a methodology that involved machine learning and qualitative analysis of big data, the research gathered comments from social media users on widely viewed YouTube videos discussing the Metaverse workplace. The initial dataset, which contained 6982 comments, underwent thorough cleaning processes, resulting in the analysis of 2804 comments through thematic, emotion, and sentiment analyses. The process of the thematic analysis revealed that out of the total comments, 472 were unclassified, while the remaining 2332 helped structure the public's beliefs about the Metaverse workplace into four overarching themes: 1- benefits of flexibility and accessibility (37 %), highlighting VR's potential to transform workspaces, especially for creative fields and efficient space use; 2- Health concerns (26 %), including eye strain and physical discomfort from prolonged headset use; 3- data privacy and corporate control fears (20 %), reflecting worries over pervasive data collection and potential misuse of power; 4- scepticism over readiness and practicality (17 %), noting visual clarity challenges and ergonomic issues. The overall vibes about working in the Metaverse are mixed. While more than half the sentiments were positive, expressing contentment, curiosity and enthusiasm, there were also concerns about health effects, data privacy, and integration issues. The public recognises Metaverse's potential for remote work, desiring improvements in areas like visual clarity, ergonomics and productivity support before widespread adoption. This study is a pioneering effort in the field, providing a first-of-its-kind structure of the public's beliefs about the Metaverse workplace, drawing upon naturally occurring data. The findings not only contribute to the academic understanding of the Metaverse workplace but also have significant implications for society and practitioners for optimising the positive aspects to enhance overall acceptance in this relatively understudied field.