Metaverse as a New Medium: Contemporary Research Trends in Media & Communication Discipline

With the invention of every new medium, either newspaper, radio, film, television, internet, and digital communication technologies, the media & and communication as a discipline evolved in terms of new theoretical approaches, methodologies, practices, and especially the effects of the medium on every aspect of human lives. The recent trends of research in this discipline have shown how the specific medium will be important for society in connection with its effects and future implications. The creation and upgradation of new theories and methodologies also depend on research trends. Metaverse, as a virtual and immersive communication tool, is emerging in every aspect of human life, and scholars are predicting that in the future, Metaverse will lead communication technologies. This research aims to explore the Metaverse as a new medium and its implications in the media & and communication discipline field. Through the systematic review of the 50 most relevant articles, this research explored the contemporary research trends in the Media and communication discipline related to the Metaverse. The Metaverse as a new medium has been investigated dominantly as a source of audience virtual and immersive social interaction, immersive entertainment, and an effective gaming medium. The evolution of the medium is the message, impactful on users' experience, evolution in the advertisement & marketing, privacy & ethical concerns, as a tool of education, and the new global village. With the help of the sociotechnical imaginaries theory, this research highlights the futuristic importance of the Metaverse in this discipline.