(NewsNation Now) — Plenty of new technology awaits us in the new year as advancements specifically bring us further into what is being touted as an augmented metaverse.

“It’s a life in an alternative universe,” tech expert Jessica Naziri said during an appearance on “Morning in America”. “It’s where we will be transacting business, engaging with our friends and family.”

Meta, the new name for the parent company of Facebook, stressed that it’s working to responsibly build the metaverse — essentially a series of interconnected virtual communities that will merge online life with real life.

“Imagine living through avatars in a separate parallel universe,” Naziri said.

Tech companies are on the bandwagon and investing in the metaverse.

“Every tech giant, every consumer entertainment, they’re all racing to build this metaverse,” Naziri said. “It’s actually predicted that the metaverse will be the next revolutionary transformative phase of the internet.”

Is the metaverse the next big thing? Is Meta ahead of the game?

The company has announced billions in metaverse-related investments in the next year.

“But also other forces are certainly at work,” Naziri said. “We’re talking about Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, even Netflix. They’ve announced plans to enter the metaverse in some form.”

Gaming industry giants including Fortnite creator Epic Games and Roblox have indicated they will be early adopters.

The fact that individuals would actually be engaging in this virtual and augmented reality as if it was real life is still hard for some to wrap their heads around.

If Christmas gift trends are any indicator, Naziri says the virtual reality headset Oculus Quest “was the number one Christmas gift.”

“So I think people are slowly starting to understand where this is headed and getting excited about it,” she said.

Watch the full interview with tech expert Jessica Naziri in the video player at the top of the page.