Does the Metaverse Bring Liberation? An Examination from the Melioristic Perspective

Regarding the metaverse, there is a mix of optimistic views that it will liberate people from the real society's oppressive culture and the physical body's constraints, and pessimistic views that it will not. This paper makes a ‘melioristic’ proposal, which is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but aims to redesign the use of the metaverse for the better. It analyzes the characteristics of the metaverse as a communication space. The paper then introduces the pessimists' criticisms that the real society's undesirable practices (such as gender stereotypes, ableism, etc.) are being brought into the metaverse. Finally, it argues that the problems pointed out can be solved by redesigning both the technology and practices of the metaverse, and proposes specific solutions to these issues.