Most Metaverse Users Don’t Last a Month: TOP 5 Trends  From The  World  Of  Work 

What else matters this week?

The wage inflation antidote.

How one leader handles microaggressions at work.

Will a cancer vaccine be ready by 2030?

How will you measure your life?

We’ve got a full breakdown of all the top headlines you can’t miss this week.

#1. “An empty world is a sad world.” Most metaverse users don’t even make it a month.

Is the Metaverse dead in the water?

It’s been almost a year since Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook as Meta Platforms. The head of Meta said it would take years to transition to the immersive online experience. Data shows the metaverse could grow up to $5 trillion in value by 2030.

But the company’s flagship metaverse offering for consumers, Horizon Worlds, is falling far short of performance expectations. Those who can afford the $400 price tag report glitch features and empty worlds. The platform has less than 200,000 active users, far short of the initial 500,000 goal.

Internal data shows that most users don’t return to the app after the first month. In fact, the user base has steadily declined since the spring. One internal document sums it up: “An empty world is a sad world.” Read more at the Wall Street Journal.

#2. Google expands 3D video call tests.

Google’s Project Starline is finally launching external tests in its futuristic video calling booths. This new way to experience video calls aims to make callers feel like they’re together in the same room. Project Starline relies on 3D headsets, 3D imagery, high-resolution cameras, custom depth sensors and a breakthrough light field display. Select corporate partners will test out the experience. Read more here.

#3.  Wind and solar hit record EU production.

European wind and solar energy production has reached a new record. Fourty three percent of the EU’s electricity mix now comes from renewables in the second quarter of 2022, outplaying fossil fuels (36%), the European Commission reports. Poland saw the greatest increase (48.5%) between March and September of this year, compared to the previous year. Ireland was the only EU country to increase its gas consumption in the second quarter of this year. Read more here.

#4. How to figure out if a job is right for you.

Do you ever feel like your job just isn’t what you signed up for? Workers often feel surprised when they join a company because the position – or organization – was different from what they were led to believe.

How can you fix this? Well, just like employers evaluate you, you should also be evaluating them. Pay attention to company culture and communication as well as salary and benefits, your career goals, values and more. Read more at Harvard Business Review.

#5.  Manage up to elevate your career.

Managing up can help you build strong relationships in the workplace and give you more room to succeed. It’s a useful strategy whether you want to take on leadership roles or not. How can you become seen as a leader in the workplace? Try setting frameworks for measuring success, prioritizing tasks, and actively seek feedback, and advocate for yourself. Read more at Quartz.