Equity in hyperconnectivity: are there gender differences in the metaverses?

Abstract

Digital natives have the opportunity to live in a hyperconnected world; however, differences still exist in society, such as the gender digital divide. Thus, the metaverse represents an option for hyperconnected interaction, although there is still a knowledge gap regarding the differences in interaction among young people in this digital environment. The study’s main objective was to compare the interaction of digital natives in the metaverse. The study population (n = 88) was established based on the age of adolescents between 15 and 29 years old identified as digital natives with constant digital interaction. The study results demonstrate that metaverses are virtual environments where young people can interact similarly, as evidenced by the Mann-Whitney U test (p = .769 > .05). However, each dimension showed notable results. For instance, regarding behavior, women (n = 19, 47.5%) exhibited positive behavior, while men considered their behavior hostile within the metaverse (n = 18, 37.5%).