The Emergence of Meta: Charting a New Course for Social Networking

At Facebook’s Connect 2021 event, the company announced a complete rebranding with a new focus on the metaverse going forward. But don’t worry, your social apps aren’t going anywhere.

Facebook Announced Its New Identity Called Meta

In a move that wasanticipated by reports beforehand , Facebook has carved out a new identity for itself with a new focus on the metaverse. Complete with a new name and a new logo, we welcome Meta to replace the Facebook brand.

Image Credit: Meta

The new logo for Meta appears in Facebook’s signature blue color (albeit a different tone), with a glyph that appears to be a cross between the infinity symbol and a pair of AR or VR glasses.

Speaking at the Connect 2021 keynote, CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, explained that he wanted Facebook’s focus to move away from social media apps and towards the metaverse.

The word “meta” comes from Greek, meaning beyond, which is exactly how Zuckerberg is spinning the narrative of the metaverse. The company is framing the metaverse as the next big technology, and it certainly sounded promising at the keynote.

Social lovers, don’t be concerned. Zuckerberg reiterated that Meta remains committed to its existing social apps and presence online. Your apps aren’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

To clarify, the new Meta brand is to replace Facebook Inc. which was the company behind each of the social media apps. This means you’ll still open the Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Horizon, and Oculus apps on your phone.

What the Rebrand to Meta Means Going Forward

For the majority of people, the rebranding to Meta will bear no significance. We’ve seen this with the parent company behind Google rebranding to Alphabet in 2015. There was no effect following the name change, and everyone still uses Google products to this day.

While the rebranding itself won’t bear much significance, the company’s new focus will. With the reason behind the change being to focus the company on the metaverse, consumers are bound to see more metaverse-friendly products and services from Meta.

As also announced at the event, Meta is working on its Horizon platform to allow users to access the multiverse. The company is also working on more AR and VR products, similar to the current Oculus range.

Meta Is Welcoming in the Metaverse

Meta is no stranger to AR and VR, with products in the Oculus range and the recent collaboration with Ray-Ban bringing the tech into the hands of consumers.

There’s no doubt that things are about to be shaken up with a focus on the metaverse as a whole. As Zuckerberg said in the Connect keynote, even he doesn’t know what the future of the metaverse holds. How exciting!