Last week, Facebook announced it was changing its name to Meta, and Mark Zuckerberg talked about the rebrand in terms of the metaverse and the future of the internet. But what exactly is the metaverse, and will we have to be customers of Facebook — or Meta — to go there? Today, on Stateside, a media and information expert fills us in on some, sci-fi, social media and social equity points to think about. GUEST: Robby Ratan is an associate professor of media and information at Michigan State University. Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.