The metaverse represents a post-reality universe that seamlessly merges physical reality with digital virtuality. It provides a continuous and immersive social networking environment, enabling multi-user engagement and interaction through Extended Reality (XR) technologies, which include Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). As a novel solution distinct from traditional methods such as mobile-based applications, the technical affordance of XR technologies in shaping multi-user social experiences remains a complex, multifaceted, and multivariate issue that has not yet been thoroughly explored. Additionally, there is a notable absence of mature frameworks and guidelines for designing and developing these multi-user socio-technical systems. Enhancing multi-user social engagement through these technologies remains a significant research challenge. This systematic review aims to address this gap by establishing an analytical framework guided by the PRISMA protocol. It analyzes 88 studies from various disciplines, including computer science, social science, psychology, and the arts, to define the mechanisms and effectiveness of XR technologies in multi-user social engagement. Quantitative methods such as descriptive statistics, correlation statistics, and text mining are used to examine the manifestation of mechanisms, potential system factors, and their effectiveness. Meanwhile, qualitative case studies identify specific measures by which system factors enhance multi-user social engagement. The study provides a pioneering framework for theoretical research and offers practical insights for developing cross-spatiotemporal co-present activities in the metaverse. It also promotes critical reflection on the evolving relationship between humans and this emerging digital universe.

Electronic sports show significant user churn caused by a toxic gaming atmosphere, and current GUI-based interventions are insufficient to address the issue. Based on the theoretical framework of Perceiving and Experiencing Fictional Characters, a new hybrid interaction interface and paradigm combined with tangibles is proposed to counter negative mood. To support the frustrated users of Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games, we added AI teammates for better personal performance and social robots for the disclosure of negative mood. We hypothesized that AI teammates’ invisibility and anonymity would mitigate negative emotions; an effect amplified by the presence of social robots. A comparative experiment was conducted with 111 participants. Social robots for emotion-oriented coping improved user mood but AI teammates for problem-oriented coping did so better, although their higher levels of experienced anonymity may not have been preferred. Unexpectedly, conversing with a robot after playing with an AI teammate brought the mood back to that experienced when talking to a robot alone, while increasing the distancing tendencies. With this in mind, AI and social robots can counter the negative atmosphere in MOBA games, positively contributing to game design and empathic human–computer interaction.

Bridging the communication gap between humans and social robots constitutes a critical area of research in the field of human-robot interaction (HRI). However, inducing self-disclosure in HRI is a challenging task, primarily due to the unique characteristics of social robots. This study aims to address the following research question: Can the design expression dimensions that influence user disclosure depth in the HRI process be deconstructed? Do design strategies take precedence over appearance design? Firstly, we segmented the focus of appearance design into three dimensions: Artistic Expression, Featured Expression, and Identified Expression, hypothesizing their level of significance. Subsequently, we created a prototype with balanced degrees for experimentation and invited 52 users to participate in HRI, guiding them to self-disclose and record data. Bayesian statistics were utilized to model the data and obtain comprehensive user feedback regarding appearance design. Based on the experimental results, we reviewed the content and potential order of the three dimensions and proposed our design and research model. Currently, at the theoretical level, there is no significant emphasis on users’ willingness to self-disclose in HRI. Our proposed model serves as a valuable tool for researchers in the fields of human-computer interaction, communication, and user experience design to gain quick insights into this topic. At the practical level, our model has reference significance for industrial and visual designers, enabling them to better comprehend the design goals, situations, and output design methods.

With the popularization of 5G and the advent of the era of integrated media, immersive smart media and the era of scene-based media have begun to gain importance. Firstly, the article compares the origin and current situation of immersive smart media and “scene-based” construction, analyzes the characteristics and attributes of metro media and passengers, and points out the current situation and dilemma of metro media communication. Secondly, the author proposes a communication strategy for the metro media through an empirical study of representative cases. Finally, the trend of underground station culture communication in the era of “immersive intelligent media + scenes” is proposed to provide implications for the theory and practice of underground station culture communication.