Eric Pulier on Why Democratizing the Internet Will Also Humanize it

VENICE BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 30, 2022 / "The internet purported to connect us and improve our lives. While it is intrinsically intertwined with the fabric of our daily life, we are experiencing more disconnection than ever," says Eric Pulier, CEO of Vatom.

While it's easier for consumers to share information instantly and get what they want faster, navigating and working on the internet can come at the cost of true interpersonal connectivity. The innovation that drove Big Tech companies to create new online experiences also created an unprecedented deluge of inauthentic human interactions that not only failed to fulfil basic human needs for relationships, but ultimately disconnected people even farther from one another. A recent article in Vice explores how self-isolation and loneliness appear to be increasing on a global scale, and is especially prominent among younger generations.

Eric Pulier, and many other prominent figures working in Web3, see that the public has grown tired of the powerful forces driving their online lives for their own benefit, and the false promise of "social" media. Pulier notes that true social interactions "with" people are materially different than interacting with information "about" people, and in that gap the epidemic of disconnection is taking root. As community became more regulated and monetized by Big Tech, the algorithms manipulated consumers who craved real connection to one another, resulting in form of social desperation, an unquenchable thirst, that's increasingly pervasive in the current digital society. But that's where the Metaverse comes in, and consumers can see a light in the tunnel. Pulier defines the metaverse not as a video game that takes people even farther away from each other, but as a new "social and ownership" layer on the internet that more organically merges digital and physical lives. The internet is constantly evolving, but the introduction of Web3 tools, which enable Metaverse experiences, marks a seismic structural shift for creators, brands, and consumers alike, who can finally break free from the current model and provide a more human-centric digital experience.

"We're going to see connections form in unprecedented ways," says Eric Pulier. "For example, with dynamic, programmable tokens like Smart NFTs, every time the asset changes ownership, it will create a new link or connection in a network. Rather than exploit these new connections in a crass grab for dollars, this new conduit of communication can be used to build community an help provide real value in people's lives."

Web3 engagement models will drastically scale down the reliance on third party intermediaries like Facebook and return data and digital ownership back to users, creating more direct relationships between artists and brands with their audiences, and more spontaneous opportunities to interact among audience members themselves. On this basis, consumers can create their own passionate communities to directly interact with and monetize. While this was also possible in Web2, the new tools create far more powerful incentive systems and self-governance opportunities. Consumers can foster relationships built on true loyalty for a creator's work, and that loyalty can be rewarded in limitless ways. People will be able to more easily decide how and when to share their information, and with whom. This is the foundation of like-minded, passionate, and self-sustaining community. Within these communities, 3D social spaces will provide a new era of spontaneity and relationship building online. And for brands, the same principle applies - they can create relationships of real value with customers, in a more authentic and mutually beneficial manner.

"Web3 is going to remove barriers between people," says Eric Pulier. "We're going to see less top-down control and more focus on community." But this new foundation will need fundamental building blocks, and the tools necessary to forge these reimagined connections.

Web1 was based on access to information. Web2 saw the rise of tech giants and information sharing. Web3 will take the advancements and lessons learned in Web2 and help return the internet to the people through more valuable, direct relationships with each other and the artists and brands they love. However, Eric Pulier notes that it does take desire from the public to continue to push for this structural change.

"It's going to take continued investment in ways to make Web3 simpler and more accessible to the mass market. It's going to take smart people continuing to innovate in order to create practical entry points that seamlessly integrate this new social and ownership layer into our lives. And it's going to take commitment to understanding the pillars of community that move us closer to the original promise the internet, to express ourselves freely and bring humanity together."

About Vatom

At Vatom our mission is to enable both Brands and Individuals to easily engage directly with the emerging Web3. Using our platform Brands and Creators can own Web3 domains, create their own virtual spaces, distribute simple, consumer-friendly Web3 wallets, create, buy, sell, exchange smart NFTs, and launch their own branded marketplaces and social tokens.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Brian Wallace
CMO
brian.wallace@vatom.com
214.886.8379

SOURCE: Vatom