Facebook Might Be Ditching Its Name to Emphasize a New Content “Metaverse” Corporate Direction

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Facebook is having a bit of an identity crisis these days.

person using both laptop and smartphone
Photo by Austin Distel

So much so that it might be ditching its name according to The Verge with Mark Zuckerberg pivoting the social media giant towards his metaverse of content concept.

Of course, this could just be a sign of the times as the company’s other service, Instagram, is also struggling through a transitional period. Even the hint that photography was not the future of the platform caused enough of a stir in our community for people to start looking elsewhere.

But it looks like “social media” as we understand it today might not be the future for Facebook or Instagram at all. However you interpret his “metaverse” aspirations, the content that would supply such a platform seems to go well beyond the memes, videos, missives, and other stuff we generate on Facebook and Instagram today.

Or, if you’re more cynical, a name change could just be an easy way to distract us all from the bad press Facebook is receiving these days.

In an interview with The Verge in which Zuckerberg discussed the company’s future direction, he said that the metaverse is “going to be a big focus, and I think that this is just going to be a big part of the next chapter for the way that the internet evolves after the mobile internet.”

Naturally, this metaverse would involve some kind of virtual reality and augmented reality thing. The company’s acquisition of VR headset maker Oculus makes sense in this view.

To be sure, Facebook wouldn’t be the first company to change its name. The tobacco company Philip Morris is one great example, but analysts think this move might be more of a Google-to-Alphabet move than anything else.

What do you think of the potential plans Facebook has for changing its name? Good idea, long overdue, or simply window dressing that is attempting to avoid some of the bigger issues facing the company? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Check out some of our other photography news on Light Stalking at this link right here.

[The Verge]

About Author

Kehl is our staff photography news writer since 2017 and has over a decade of experience in online media and publishing and you can get to know him better here and follow him on Insta.

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