Virtualization of Communication in Metaverses: Key Trends and Prospects

The article examines the key trends in the virtualization of communication within metaverses, which drive the transformation of social interactions in digital environments. With the advancement of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain technologies, new mechanisms of social, professional, and economic cooperation are emerging, characterized by interactivity, immersion, and decentralization. The study analyzes seven fundamental trends, including the mediation of communication through digital avatars, the gamification of communicative interactions, the hybridization of physical and virtual communication environments, the economization of digital communication practices, the decentralization of socio-communicative processes, as well as the increasing asynchronicity and permanence of digital communication. The findings of the study demonstrate that metaverses not only reshape traditional forms of social communication but also foster the development of new models of digital identity, economic activity, and collective governance.