Abstract
Despite frequent mentions of the “metaverse” in news reports, academic studies, and individual discourse, there have been few systematic studies that explore the conception of the metaverse in peer-reviewed articles, news reports, and individuals' digital expressions. This study examined the aggregate perceptions and knowledge of multiple audiences—news media, academics, and the public—about the metaverse. After collecting peer-reviewed articles, news reports, and Twitter users' posts about the metaverse from 2020 to 2022, we conducted a comparative content analysis to identify characteristics of metaverse topics, research/news reporting areas, research methods, and public opinion about the metaverse. The findings show that academia has investigated various research topics and areas related to the metaverse using various methodologies, while the news media and the public focused more on business/industry trends and specific metaverse platforms. Through the comparative content analysis, we also identified commonalities and differences in how these are described or identified across peer-reviewed journals, news reports, and social media comments.
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