Unveiling the dark and scary side of metaverse: an in-depth qualitative investigation

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.