From the Metaverse to the Tower of Babel: Investigating the Socio-Cultural Exclusion of Polish Users on Social VR Platforms

Social virtual reality (VR) platforms are emerging as new spaces for socio-cultural communication between people from different parts of the world. However, international communication remains underexplored in laboratory-based research, and existing field studies have predominantly included English-speaking social VR users, thereby marginalizing other perspectives. This study employs ethnographic methods to examine the challenges experienced by Polish users in communication with individuals of different nationalities. Findings indicate that international communication in social VR can present new challenges for Polish users. These challenges, related to communication in a foreign language, may be amplified by the immersiveness of head-mounted displays, the dominance of English-speaking nationalities, the prevalence of voice-based communication, cultural differences, and geographical location. The results highlight the risk of excluding non-native English speakers from global communities in English-dominated social VR environments. Research underscores the need for a methodological shift in future studies on social VR platforms.