THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY TROUGH THE WEB IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES
THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY TROUGH THE WEB IN MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES

Summary/Abstract: In our Liquid Modernity, the online and offline experiences represent two dimensions that might be confused, jeopardizing the very formation of a person. The advent of new media is changing, in terms of structure and functionality, one's own Self and one's identity. To build the current dimension, characterized by globalization processes on one hand and by migratory flows that produce miscegenation on the other hand, it is vital not to break the thread binding us to our tradition, culture and roots. In other words, we cannot and we should not give up our cultural identity, trying to develop as much as possible a ‘glocal’ identity. The joint commitment is therefore to build, also through new media, a model of civilization and culture capable of activating paths of harmonic coexistence between the various cultures, while preserving their identity and membership. The use of New media confronts us with a new modality called “Culture of Encounter”, based on man’s ability to use the cyberspace to shorten the distance between individuals who cohabit the same planet; this, provided that the global citizen has sufficient digital skills and sufficient media education. In fact, in absence of a proper education, the virtual dimension could strengthen a “Culture of Clashing” fueling the distances between peoples, cultures and traditions, through the dissemination of stereotypes and prejudices. Has the realization of the global village by MacLuan materialized? Or, as claimed by Lazarsfeld and Merton, there is a homophilia condition in which the Net surfer has undermined the possibility of creating a global village by searching only those people that share its same interests? My paper winds on these key points.

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