A technological arms race has arisen amongst the major American tech companies currently investing in what they claim will be the next stage of the digital revolution: the metaverse. These companies are vying to create the next ubiquitous device that they claim will alter the way we all perceive reality as we flit between the physical and the virtual. When we look at the current statistics and future projections for immersive tech (such as VR and AR), the trajectory of growth looks exponential. 

But is our collective induction into the corporate metaverse inevitable? 

This paper gives all the metaverse projections and hype a reality check by presenting a case study of voices from young people in the city of Bradford. What do they think of the current state of tech, and what role do they imagine the shiny new gadgets from Silicon Valley will play in their lives? 

Resulting from my current research project with the BFI and University of York, this paper will offer initial findings from my digital ethnographic study on the media ecologies of 16–24-year-olds in what is demographically the largest population of young people of any city in the UK. These young Bradfordians counter the hype of Silicon Valley companies by putting tech in its place. My research participants balance their enthusiasm for new digital gadgets with their everyday anxieties and challenges (e.g. cost of living, finding jobs and accommodation, climate disaster, etc); immersive tech does not always provide a welcome escape from physical reality. 

My research participants in Bradford will also take part in speculative design workshops in which they will be challenged to imagine what immersive and interactive tech could look like if they had the power to design apps or wearables that suit their own lives. Then, they will be paired up with creative technologists from around Yorkshire to bring their imaginings to fruition in a hackathon. The exercise asks them to ideate and iterate on their ideal technological futures – which may look very different from what the Silicon Valley giants may be creating for them.  

This paper raises questions about the agency of urban young people, who are often framed as consumers and users in global networks of digital tech distribution. What happens when we value them as active creators and collaborators? Can they imagine more ethical immersive and interactive digital technologies that suit their lives better than what Silicon Valley is currently designing for them? 

Dr Rob Eagle is an immersive media and film researcher-practitioner, based in Bristol. As a Research Fellow at the BFI (British Film Institute) and XR Stories at the University of York, Rob has been conducting research in Bradford on how young audiences imagine the future of screen-based entertainment and storytelling. Rob’s practice-based research spans performance, film and interactive and immersive media, with one recent augmented reality installation (Through the Wardrobe) touring internationally 2019-22. https://robeagle.art