Expanding Nature's storytelling: extended reality and debiasing strategies for an eco-agency

Communication in sustainability and environmental sciences is primed to be substantially changed with extended reality technology, as the emergent Metaverse gives momentum to building an urgent pro-environmental mindset. Our work focuses on immersive econarratives, supported by virtual and augmented realities, and their potential to favor an improved relationship with the environment. Considering social aggregation dynamics and cognitive bias, this article intends to (1) make the case for a new environmental narrative; (2) position extended reality as privileged settings to sustain this narrative; and (3) suggest that this storytelling should be informed by Nature's empirical evidence, i.e., ecosystem data. We see this as a chance to think this Metaverse with an embedded environmental consciousness, informed by behavior-change research.

Automated summary

Communication in sustainability and environmental sciences is set to change significantly with extended reality technology, harnessing the potential of the emergent Metaverse to foster a stronger pro-environment mindset. Our research focuses on immersive econarratives, enabled by virtual and augmented realities, and their ability to improve the relationship with the environment. By considering social aggregation dynamics and cognitive bias, this article argues for a new environmental narrative supported by extended reality that is informed by empirical ecosystem data.