Reconstruction and Expansion of Everydayness: Exploring New Possibilities of Experience in the Metaverse
Moon Jeong Kim · Research Institute for Life and Culture Sogang University · 2025
In early 2020, with the turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, unprecedented lockdown measures were implemented, leading to a global surge in interest in the metaverse. Particularly, as the digitization of society accelerated, many people were frequently exposed to the term “metaverse” and were able to experience various types of metaverse services. However, the metaverse is still largely perceived as a service limited to the fields of gaming and entertainment. While there are various reasons for this, the lack of a standardized definition of the metaverse is the most significant. As a result, there is a wide range of opinions and projections about it. Furthermore, as the metaverse itself remains incomplete, researchers and institutions focus on specific technologies or services, offering different definitions, which complicates understanding. There exists a considerable gap between the expectations of technological completeness and the metaverse services that can actually be experienced, leading to inevitable confusion. Therefore, I aim to reconstruct the concept of the metaverse by focusing on the “continuity” of interaction based on the physical presence of participants, setting their ‘bodies’ as the interface. In this context, continuity is a fundamental characteristic that reveals the metaverse’s essential and unique identity, serving as a critical prerequisite for the realization of everyday life in a digital environment. In conclusion, the inherent potential of the metaverse presents the possibility of expanding a new form of everydayness that aligns with the cultural characteristics and needs of contemporary individuals.