I would argue the opposite. The internet in the mid-1990's was a fun timewaster. We'd while away the hours at college on Farg or Hot-or-not. It was a daft place just to relax for a bit. Then the corporations took over and, well you've seen Facebook.

The metaverse is, rather than being organically grown, forced through by corporations and already full of the trolls. The current state of the internet is bad enough; making it a physical place where they can get you is even worse.