The metaverse revolution: lights and shadows

Objetive: In today's world, people may perceive that the concept of the metaverse is not part of their lives, however, it may be closer than we think. From the use of virtual immersive glasses to the combination of different technologies such as artificial intelligence predictive languages, the scope of action has been widening to reach the "metaverse revolution". The aim of this article is to analyse the metaverse from a critical point of view to establish its pros and cons, presenting various reflections on its economic and social effects and its future viability.Methodology: A non-systematic review of the literature has been carried out, focused on answering the research question: "What are the lights and shadows of the metaverse?" And, based on it, a critical reflection has been carried out to open a debate on this lights and shadows. Results: The use of the metaverse has positive economic, cultural and social effects, facilitating the creation of business, the development of educational models and applications for the Smart world. But it also encounters problems related to security, privacy or ethics. Limitations: A critical analysis is carried out that can be complemented with other qualitative and quantitative analyses. Practical implications: Examples and arguments for and against the use and application of the metaverse are presented, stimulating new debates. In addition, some ideas for possible actions or policies to reduce the shadows of the metaverse are offered.