Structural Analysis of Interactions of Iran's Social Challenges in the Face of the future of Virtual Social Networks
Journal Title: Strategic Research on Social Problems in Iran - Year 2021, Vol 10, Issue 2
Abstract
Introduction A better understanding of the future challenges of social networking is obtained when the media system is examined in more depth and assess the effects of its trends. We believe that one of the ways of building a better society in this global village is through paying more attention to everyone's present sensitive and crucial role in shaping the future and familiarizing them with the most important future developments. Facing today's global challenges such as the development of social media, followed by gradual institutionalization of the virtual public sphere and local and indigenous Iranian issues like changing economic, political, and social conditions requires a look at the past and present-day globalization and a foresight for tomorrow. Therefore, neglecting the futuristic view of communication developments and its effects on a developing country like Iran has slowed down pioneering the building of the future of the society and as a result of short-term instead of long-term planning, a different future may be formed instead of promoting knowledge of the future. Consequently, a legal vacuum (non-implementation of the law) may occur instead of legal synchronicity based on the future. Accordingly, the present study sought to address the question of what social challenges Iran may face based on the future of virtual social networks. Materials & Methods The current study was based on an exploratory research and a combined (quantitative and qualitative) approach in terms of implementation. The method of the present research was generally based on the Popper model. In the data analysis stage, the results were provided by using the structural analysis of interaction effects and using SPSS and Micmac software. Discussion of Results & Conclusions The findings revealed a separation of stable and unstable problems in the society. The dispersion type of Iran's social problems in the face of the future of cyberspace showed the future of Iranian society involved in an unstable and complex system of social issues affected by the future of cyberspace. Also, the study conducted based on the division of issues into strategic and less strategic problems demonstrated that such issues as pervasiveness of free relations between men and women, emergence of new relationships between sexes, disrespect of privacy, emergence of modern youth, changing the levels of crimes from allies and streets to the cyberspace, and emergence of digital identity were the most important strategic issues in the face of the future of cyberspace, thus making social and cultural policies a priority. On the other hand, analysis of the results overlapped some negative functions of cyberspace evolution provided by Trend One Research Center and displayed the importance of paying attention to this issue in the face of the possible future. In this case, the mentioned research center listed the negative consequences of the future evolution of cyberspace as an extension of the society. The first avatar marriage with a human being, and the first divorce due to having virtual affairs with the characters in computer games were among the possible consequences provided by the Trend One research center. Addiction to online games as a national issue (Arjmandi and Salavatian, 2015:5), in which the most important consequence affecting national and local identities and moving diverse identities towards a single global identity occurred in the cyberspace was another issue raised by this research center. One of the leading challenges based on the future research of social issues resulting from the future developments of virtual social networks was the "emergence of cosmopolitan identity" caused by the failure of identity boundaries. Cyberspace is an open and free space beyond any cultural, social, and even family constraints. Users and audiences can create an identity for themselves in accordance with their ideas and fantasies, regardless of the real world constraints. Uploading photos, videos, and any personal contents in the cyberspace is a kind of liberation from the real-world algebra, while making an identity. Therefore, these networks provide a platform to break the boundaries of identity and make integration of societies into one identity. However, since the presence and use of Iranian society in the future developments of virtual social networks was slower than those of the West, our society was the destination of this change. Therefore, before we Iranians entered the network, the sphere and field of action fell in the protected area of the West. Hence, the necessary social preparation had to be provided to deal with this challenge. This was confirmed by a statement by David Ratkaff, a former Deputy Secretary of Commerce of the Clinton Administration, who examined the elites that were building this global power in his book entitled The Superclass. In one part of his book, he evaluated the issue of globalization in the following way (Ratkaf, 2016:34-35) : "For many, globalization has meant and continues to mean Westernization, and even worse, it has the concept of Americanization at its core, which is somehow linked to Zionism and the ancient Jewish threat. It is the collapse of cultural boundaries and barriers, and on the one hand, for some, it is reminiscent of the spread of Islam. For others, such as Dobbs and Buchanan, the concept of Latinization of the United States and decline of "Anglo-Saxon" identity has prevailed. In this view, national identities have besieged. Still, for a number of others in the world, the policies of the World Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization to protect the interests of the rich and evoke the second wave of imperialism have been directed towards a new corporate-led colonialism, in which the Internet has transformed the materialist capitalism."
Authors and Affiliations
Hooman Alvandi * Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences and Communications, Imam Sadegh Research Institute for Islamic Sciences, Qom, Iran h. alvandi@isri. ac. ir
Keywords
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- EP ID EP704977
- DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.22108/srspi.2021.130476.1730
- Views 117
- Downloads 0
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