Cyberspace and Metaverse Culture
M. Rajabi; M.S. Nasrollahi
Abstract
The future challenges of artificial intelligence, especially in the relationship between humans and intelligent systems or technologically advanced machines as well as the power of its functions in social media, are a cause of concern whose cultural impacts have been presented after further investigation. ...
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The future challenges of artificial intelligence, especially in the relationship between humans and intelligent systems or technologically advanced machines as well as the power of its functions in social media, are a cause of concern whose cultural impacts have been presented after further investigation. As such, the main goal of the article is to analyze the cultural consequences of artificial intelligence in social media i.e. what positive and negative impacts the use of AI have on social media. Taking into account the analytical method of thematic analysis, the data has been collected through questionnaire-based interviews with experts. The findings show that one of the most important cultural impacts of the use and development of artificial intelligence on social media is the scalability (expansion of the scope) of the effectiveness of human decisions and actions, new structuring of the human communication system, transformation in the way of cultural consumption, reducing the power of human choice and delegation. Other aspects mentioned are the disruption of the functioning of the representation of truth in the media, the disruption of the balance between the benefits of personalized content and privacy protection, the countercultural effects of designers and technology owners on the functioning of intelligent systems, the transformation in the way humans and technology interact, the lack of transparency of the consequences of the use of artificial intelligence, and the limitation of the power of governance as well as traditional and the impossibility of effective supervision and legislation, etc.
Sociology
M.H. SayahTaheri
Abstract
The main view of thinkers, with respect to the impact of cyberspace on religion, is that its continuous use would help lead to “secularization” of individuals and society. However, it seems that this process, under the influence of some interfering factors, has overturned and, in some cases, ...
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The main view of thinkers, with respect to the impact of cyberspace on religion, is that its continuous use would help lead to “secularization” of individuals and society. However, it seems that this process, under the influence of some interfering factors, has overturned and, in some cases, even strengthened the religious outlook of some users of the virtual space, a process which we call “desecularization”. In this article, the attempt is being made to examine what are the most critical factors that enhance desecularization in social networks, and how desecularized users resist those secularizing effects? This research has been done using a qualitative approach and based on grounded theory as well as the theoretical sampling method. The statistical population was undergraduate students from universities of Tehran who were religious and each of them having about a thousand followers on Instagram. Finally, 27 of them were interviewed through structured questionnaire. MAXQDA20 software was used to encode and analyze the data which were deduced in three stages of sub-and-main concepts. The 10 categories that were selected include: pre-network context of the individual; scientific protective armor; transnational knowledge; activism power of users; religious lifestyle; reminding and meditating about life's priorities for users; maturity in interactions; internal and external care; intellectual patience and to build a social network with indigenous characteristics. All these aforementioned characteristics are gathered under one title called “conscious struggle”.
Cultural Studies
M. Mehrban; E. Shahghasemi
Abstract
The world is experiencing a change at a rapid space with ever-increasing innovation and development in information and communications technologies. In fact, the modern world is controlled by the media, and many human relationships are driven by new technologies, especially social media which is growing ...
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The world is experiencing a change at a rapid space with ever-increasing innovation and development in information and communications technologies. In fact, the modern world is controlled by the media, and many human relationships are driven by new technologies, especially social media which is growing and spreading at lightning speed. This type of media, including Instagram has incurring more negative impact on children and adolescents. Therefore, it is important to pay more attention to media literacy, which is considered in this research. It should be noted that media literacy does not occur spontaneously but is possible through an appropriate educational system. As such, there is a need to present a coherent and purposeful model in the media space surrounded by all kinds of celebrities and all kinds of content on the Instagram. This research method is qualitative-exploratory in nature. With the help of experts, the researchers intend to provide a media literacy model for teenage girls addicted to the Instagram. The Delphi method was used while the study population was selected from experts and professors in the field of communication and media literacy. Finally, the desired model of media literacy was organized around five areas of cognitive, technological, educational, research and policy making.
Social Sciences and Communications
H. Raghfar; Z. Shafiei
Abstract
The popularity of the network concept has increased dramatically, its importance for entrepreneurial activities has become increasingly recognized, and in a way, it can be said that it has become fashionable. Recent studies of the new economic sociology on the subject of women's entrepreneurship also ...
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The popularity of the network concept has increased dramatically, its importance for entrepreneurial activities has become increasingly recognized, and in a way, it can be said that it has become fashionable. Recent studies of the new economic sociology on the subject of women's entrepreneurship also focus on general specifications and limitations; they mainly emphasize the importance of networks. It is important to note that we must trace the fundamental difference between the achievements of men and women entrepreneurs in the concept of networks. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to increase the perception of networks and how to use them for entrepreneurial and business activities. To achieve this goal, the social network perspective has been considered and the qualitative method of network analysis has been used to deeply explain the network activities of 40 participants in the study. In this paper, we will study the social networks of women who have founded modern handicraft brands. This paper elaborates on two main questions; 1) what are the forms and quality of women's networking in this field? And 2) dose this networking help to create or facilitate their economic activities? To answer these questions, we present three layers of the network. Strong ties that are the family relationships, weak ties which include friendships and relationships with strangers i.e., customers. The most important viewpoint of this study is that its subjects are mostly using virtual communication tools for establishing relations with their customers. As discussed in this paper, this type of communication somehow guarantees the success and durability of their business.
Cultural Studies
M. Fouladiyan; M. Dayyaree; R. Zohouri
Abstract
Study of how to spend non-native students of Ferdowsi University among leisure time, is purpose of this research. Non-native students experience different process in different terms related to leisure time due to special conditions. Entering in new environment, and often new experience in a metropolis, ...
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Study of how to spend non-native students of Ferdowsi University among leisure time, is purpose of this research. Non-native students experience different process in different terms related to leisure time due to special conditions. Entering in new environment, and often new experience in a metropolis, can be understood of people for different leisure time. In fact, since non-native student arrived in own city of study, shares his leisure time with his friends and his family plays a very small part in spending his leisure time. The more elbowroom, having more time to spend leisure time, getting to know new friends and different types of leisure time in a metropolis, opportunity to relationship with opposite sex and many other things will cause of difference in the leisure time of non-negative students. The method of this research was qualitative. With 40 non-native students, individual in-depth interviews were done and finally, by reaching theoretical saturation, the interviews were coded in three stages and finally -analyzed. One of the most important results of this study is the reduction of leisure time in the final semester. Also, the type of spending leisure time for non-native students in the final semester has differences that are discussed in the findings. Generally, Activities in social networks, relationship with opposite sex, street surfing and going to the park are most important leisure activities of the students. More than twenty of leisure time is described according to interviews in the report.
Social Sciences and Communications
H. Molaei; Z. Majdizadeh
Abstract
Social media with their features such as interactivity, participatory, and user-generated content have provided a great opportunity for self-expression of the users. However, cultural differences affect the extent and modality of users’ self-expression. This study aims to investigate the modality ...
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Social media with their features such as interactivity, participatory, and user-generated content have provided a great opportunity for self-expression of the users. However, cultural differences affect the extent and modality of users’ self-expression. This study aims to investigate the modality of self-expression of Iranian users of the social networking sites. In doing so, an online survey was conducted among the students of three Iran universities: University of Tehran, Amirkabir University of Technology, and Sharif University of Technology. A total of 371 students participated in the study. Having conducted quantitative analysis, the study results showed that women and ethnic minorities are more inclined to support their cultural differences compared to men and ethnic majority group. Supporting cultural differences was observed more among Shia religious majority group. Religious minorities expressed less tendency to create content in social networking sites and as a result support their religious identity.
Social Sciences and Communications
R. Tavalaee; Z. Sabaghi; N. Nezafati
Abstract
Due to the growth of information and communication technology in societies Especially among students, the use of these technologies has become as part of regular working people. Social networks as one of the most important and widely in cyberspace which is Used by many people in various fields. application ...
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Due to the growth of information and communication technology in societies Especially among students, the use of these technologies has become as part of regular working people. Social networks as one of the most important and widely in cyberspace which is Used by many people in various fields. application of social network by students as young and educated population is important.In this regard, this study aimed to investigate and identify the opportunities and threats for shahid Beheshti University students in social network. This study aims to develop a practical and descriptive methodology. Information obtained from the questionnaires using SPSS statistical analysis software in two parts: descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed.The results indicate that five variables related to social networking opportunities, including e-learning, leisure, organized social groups, the possibility of dialogue and culture, as well as five variables related to social networking threats, including transfer value unethical, abusive, spreading false information, internet & Communications destructive addiction, has a significant positive effect on students.
Social Sciences and Communications
Jamal Mohammadi; kamal khalegh Panah; Elahe Gholami
Abstract
BeeTalk is one of the most common social networks that have attracted many users during these years. As a whole, social networks are parts of everyday life nowadays and, especially among the new generation, have caused some basic alterations in the field of identity-formation, sense-making and the form ...
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BeeTalk is one of the most common social networks that have attracted many users during these years. As a whole, social networks are parts of everyday life nowadays and, especially among the new generation, have caused some basic alterations in the field of identity-formation, sense-making and the form and content of communication. This article is a research about BeeTalk users, their virtual interactions and experiences, and the feelings, pleasures, meanings and attitudes that they obtain through participating in the virtual world. This is a qualitative research. The sample is selected by way of theoretical sampling among the students of University of Kurdistan. Direct observation and semistructured interviews are used to gathering data, which are interpreted through grounded theory. The findings show that some contexts like “searching real interests in a non-real world” and “the representation of users’ voices in virtual space” have provided the space for participating in BeeTalk, and an intervening factor called “instant availability” has intensified this participation. Users’ participation in this social network has changed their social interaction in the real world and formed some new types of communication among them such as “representation of faked identities”, “experiencing ceremonial space” and “artificial literacy”. Moreover, this participation has some consequences like “virtual addiction” and “virtual collectivism” in users’ everyday life that effects their ways of providing meaning and identity in their social lives. It can be said that the result of user’s activity in this network is to begin a kind of simulated relation that has basic differences with relations in the real world. The experience of relation in this network lacks nobility, enrichment and animation, rather it is instant, artificial and without any potential to vitalization.
Hassan Bashir; Mohammad Sadiq Afrasiabi
Abstract
The present study examines the relationship between using Internet social networks and some of the life style's indices. The study relies on the assumption that the Internet and virtual space, particularly online social networks, have remarkably attracted young people nowadays so far as such networks ...
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The present study examines the relationship between using Internet social networks and some of the life style's indices. The study relies on the assumption that the Internet and virtual space, particularly online social networks, have remarkably attracted young people nowadays so far as such networks have filled most of the youths' leisure times. In the context of globalization and the advent of new communication technologies, a virtual space has emerged interacting with the real one. To measure the relationship between these two spaces, i.e. the time people allocate to the Internet and other cultural implications of being a member of social networks, the present research employs online survey and online questionnaire administration to collect data from the active users of Iranian Social Network, i.e. Cloob.com. The findings suggest that the Internet and online social networks fill most of the youths' leisure time; people become the member of such networks with different goals of which amusement is the most significant. Furthermore, the networks membership would partially affect cultural symbols related to individuals' everyday life including dressing and daily talks. Online social networks have also brought about changes in friend-making and marriage style which are all conclusively examined in chapter four (data analysis). The study also addresses the contents of private or group messages. To examine the contents of private messages, the research employs questionnaires and to depict a Precis picture of group messages, it uses content analysis method to examine the content of all discussed issues by young people in the network. The results of the content analysis reveal that private and group messages communicated in the Iranian Largest online social network, i.e. Cloob.com, have different contents indicating a change in people’s life style.
