Open AccessThe Impact of Virtual Communities on Cultural Identity
Author(s) -
Radoslav Baltezarević,
Borivoje Baltezarević,
Piotr Kwiatek,
Vesna Baltezarević
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
symposion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.159
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 2392-6260
pISSN - 1584-174X
DOI - 10.5840/symposion2019611
Subject(s) - virtual community , identity (music) , cultural identity , the internet , sociology , space (punctuation) , social psychology , virtual space , psychology , public relations , internet privacy , political science , world wide web , computer science , aesthetics , philosophy , feeling , artificial intelligence , operating system
The emergence of the Internet and various forms of virtual communities has led to the impact of a new social space on individuals who frequently replace the real world with alternative forms of socializing. In virtual communities, new ‘friendships’ are easily accepted; however, how this acceptance influences cultural identity has not been investigated. Based on the data collected from 443 respondents in the Republic of Serbia, authors analyze this connexion, as well as how the absorption of others’ cultural values is reflected on the local cultural values. The results show that the adoption of others’ cultural values diminished the bond with the local community. The present paper adds to the theory of virtual communities by examining the relationship between the acceptance of an unknown person in a virtual community and its effects on cultural identity. This study contributes to the clarification of the impact that virtual networking has on cultural identity.