The postmodern Narcissus in the cyberspace’s mirrors
The postmodern Narcissus in the cyberspace’s mirrors

Summary/Abstract: While originally the mythological character Narcissus falls in love with his own image refl ected in water, infatuated with the nymph Echo, the post-modern navigator in cyberspace is falling in love with himself as a potentiality. He is captured by the possibility to multiply and enrich his own identity in various improved cyber versions of himself. This postmodern navigator on web is projecting his self-image in various echo chambers’ mirrors, through online narratives which favours the feeling of freedom through self-reinvention. We can even speak of an illusion of the almost chameleonic power of a change of the personal identity of the human being, given that the individual present in the virtual world can playfully alternate his persona (masks of his own identity) in various communicative exchanges on the net (games, social networks, presence on the blogosphere). The algorithmic structures of online communication off er the possibility of declining multiple fi ctitious identities and incite to a process of self-reinvention. But at what psychological and social costs?

• Details
• Contents