Last month on Oct. 28, the virtual Facebook Connect event was held; Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg announced the Facebook name will be changing to Meta. 

Accompanied with a new logo, Meta is the new parent company of facebook. The reason being Zuckerberg says, “Facebook doesn’t fully encompass everything the company does now.” Other facebook’s sites such as Instagram and What’sApp will stay the same. 

The main purpose of Meta is to introduce the Metaverse, a combination of both virtual and augmented reality. Although Zuckerberg states that this will change how people interact on a daily basis, other companies have already implemented reality focused experiences. Valve Corp. the parent company to Steam has had VR gear for years. Apple is also expected to come out with a similar product next year. 

The word Metaverse is not anything new. The term was first coined by Sci-Fi author Neil Stephenson in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash.” 

It is also possible that Facebook’s recent rebranding may be from the recent whistleblower Francis Haugen releasing thousands of documents to the press. A situation Facebook has faced multiple criticisms from.