This isn't just another local literary anthology. It's a decoder ring for the future of digital identity. I know, it sounds like a stretch. A digital revolution on BC’s Sunshine Coast, the key to making sense of our metaverse? But hear me out.

What If Vulnerability Is The Key

Coastal Voices’ 15th-anniversary edition is not a magical realm of witches and fantasy. Instead, it's raw. It’s not so much about making art as it is about vulnerability, identity, and the messy, beautiful process of figuring out who you are. Almost 850 submissions flooded the gates, with only 156 being chosen for publication—a testament to the increasing involvement from young people.

Now, think about the metaverse. We're all so caught up in the tech – the VR headsets, the blockchain, the NFTs – that we're forgetting the human element. We are creating these new digital spaces, yet what types of selves are we making for those spaces?

Coastal Voices’ unabashed approach to the personal experience and emotional truth is the key element still missing. These young writers are grappling with questions of belonging, self-acceptance, and connection – the very same questions we'll face, amplified, in the metaverse.

Picture this ethereal metaverse where you can identify as whatever you want. The desire to craft the perfect digital doppleganger, an idealized, carefully-edited version of yourself, will be overwhelming. Is that genuine connection? Is that real identity?

The anthology suggests otherwise. The real power of Coastal Voices though, is in the honesty—with no sugar coating or fluff. It’s in the tales of hardship, the hours of uncertainty, and the understated victories of finding oneself. These are the experiences that awaken our humanity, and these are the experiences that will inspire our digital duplicity of selves.

Metaverse Needs More Than Avatars

We're so busy building the infrastructure of the metaverse that we're neglecting the culture. Now more than ever, we need to consider what values we want to infuse in these nascent digital spaces. What kind of world do we want—an artificial world of curation and illusion, or a real world where we connect deeply with ourselves and others?

Coastal Voices offers a powerful counter-narrative. It teaches us that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness, but rather, this is where our power and humanity lies. Putting your words out into the world, as the anthology advocates, is an act of bravery. It builds empathy, it lessens loneliness, and it provides portals to other ways of being. These are the building blocks of a more equitable, vibrant and connected community to go along with improving public health online and offline.

Take Ashley Laila Bruce’s cover art for example – a dazzling eye with a cerulean starburst iris. It’s a haunting and beautiful portrait of reality and existence. The eye sees, but it reveals. It challenges the traditional notion of identity, not as something concealed in shadows, but as something revealed in the harsh light of day, flaws and all.

And of course, the accompanying online audio recordings of each contributor reading their work. When you read about their stories in these young voices, it brings a whole new level of intimacy and connection. It's a reminder that behind every avatar, there's a real person with real emotions.

This isn't about Luddite resistance to technology. It’s about insisting on a better technology, a more humane technology.

Can We Design Empathy In Code

This brings us to the ethical considerations. Our challenge now is to design empathy into the code that will one day govern the metaverse. What would it look like to design digital spaces that make vulnerability and authentic connection a priority.

The political leaning here is clear. The metaverse cannot be left to corporate control. We need user-centric approaches that are privacy-centric, inclusive, and affirm a user’s right to self-expression. We can’t keep creating communities that respond to the imperatives of ethics over money.

  • How can we protect user privacy while fostering authentic self-expression?
  • How can we prevent the metaverse from becoming a breeding ground for manipulation and exploitation?
  • How can we ensure that the metaverse is accessible and inclusive for all, regardless of background or identity?

The judges of Coastal Voices emphasized that good writing should evoke emotions, connect with readers on a deep level, describe shared human experiences, and teach something about ourselves. These last two points are the same principles that should guide the development of the metaverse.

The Coastal Voices anthology isn't just a collection of student writing. It's a call to action. The future of the metaverse will depend on whether we can make our new digital spaces more like the best human environments. We owe it to these young leaders to make these spaces as vulnerable and authentic as the young voices that populate them. It's time we started listening. Let’s create a metaverse that lives up to their courage.

The Coastal Voices anthology isn't just a collection of student writing; it's a call to action. It's a reminder that the future of the metaverse depends on our ability to create digital spaces that are as human, as vulnerable, and as authentic as the young voices that fill its pages. It's time we started listening. Let's build a metaverse worthy of their courage.