In changing its parent company name to Meta, Facebook (NASDAQ:) put a stake in the ground: It would be the symbol of the evolution of the internet, the metaverse. We like it or not.

According to Meta, the metaverse is “a set of digital spaces for socializing, learning, playing and more.” Its first true attempt came in the form of Horizon Worlds, a VR universe so lifeless and contentless that it makes people wonder if the metaverse is a step forward or backward.