Metaverse Project as a New Hegemony Tool in the Context of Cultural Imperialism

Abstract

Historically, for a long time, the neoliberal understanding or paradigm, in addition to being an idea of economic order in itself, ensures that all other social life and systems are defined and reorganized around this idea of order. Every dimension of social structure, culture and social relations is intended to be included in a more macroeconomic planning. While today's digital world exists with transportation facilities and communication technologies, information has gained the ability to move faster and in larger volumes through new developing communication technologies. Thus, the obstacles to the transfer of knowledge, which is the source of power, and the production of a global culture have been overcome. In today's reality, called the digital-based information age, the overwhelming majority of communication tools, technology infrastructure and media content are of Western origin. Alternative platforms and various initiatives that have emerged in recent years can be interpreted as a counter-power practice initiated against this unipolar dominance of communication. This situation shows that global culture, the foundations of which were laid by Western-origin initiatives and developments, is actually the scene of a struggle for cultural hegemony and a game of social power. The Metaverse project, which is the symbol of the new power struggle of multinational media companies, can be discussed in this context, as it is thought to represent the current situation in question. As a matter of fact, this text focuses on how the metaverse can be evaluated as a tool of cultural hegemony. On this subject, some researchers mention that individuals and societies will become a part of their existing culture by spending most of their time and activities in this medium, and in this way, a technology-centered hegemony can be established in political decision-making, social practices, value system and cultural security. As a result, in this text, the Metaverse project is approached as a resocialization technology, and its role in the production of global culture and its expectations for the future vision are intended to be understood by placing it in the context of cultural imperialism.