there isn't going to be a "metaverse" per se. the things that it's presented as (some kind of "digital world" that replaces the real one) have existed in various forms since the 80s with little reason for a normal person to participate. if it's anything, the metaverse is new branding on existing trends, specifically the further enclosure and marketization of anything public or free, pacification of the masses with increasingly lower quality entertainment and treats, and a politics totally subsumed by the spectacle. maybe some people will deal by playing ugly monkey second life, but i'm sure most will find other ways of staving off mental illness.