The mentality of homo digitalis and the virtualization of social communication

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of correlation of transformation of mental frames of the person and mechanisms of processing experience and sense generation in the context of virtualization of culture and digitalization of social communication. The terminological phrase homo digitalis, the main interpretative approaches to it in modern scientific literature are considered, and the directions of critical reception of these approaches are outlined.  The scientific novelty of the study lies in the problematization of the relationship between the mental frames of homo digitalis and virtual forms of communication in the cultural space. The author's contribution to the consideration of this problem lies in the comparative consideration of the conceptualizations of homo interneticus and homo digitalis. The ontological, phenomenological and ethical dimensions of digitalization of communication and the emergence of the philosopheme of the digital person are emphasized. It is found that the approaches of philosophical anthropology and social psychology to the problem of mental transformations of the digital person are unanimous in the aspect of focusing on the mechanisms of reception of reality and cognitive mechanisms of its comprehension, which emphasizes the role of the concepts of human agency and subjectivity. The concept of the Self, transforming in the conditions of virtualization of communication, is problematized within the framework of the specified concepts of agency and subjectivity. The related issue of non-anthropocentric approaches to self-identification and self-positioning of a person in the digital space of communication sharpens the issues of human nature, the category of humanism, the existential foundations of human experience and understanding of communicative reality. The social, political and economic aspects of the transformation of the mentality of a digital person are indicated. The difference between the concepts of homo digitalis and homo interneticus is emphasized. The significance of the manifested issues for the future development of Ukrainian culture is considered. It is noted that the virtualization of communication has ambivalent consequences. On the one hand, it opens up opportunities for the democratization of access to information, the development of digital participation and the mobilization of citizens. On the other hand, it increases the risks of manipulation, media dependence, information overload and loss of the ability to think critically. Digital mentality is formed at the intersection of these processes, combining the desire for speed and efficiency with the need for stability, authenticity and deep communication. Therefore, an important task of modern science is to develop methodological tools for the analysis of digital cognitive practices, create models of resistance to information manipulation and find balances between technical efficiency and humanistic values ​​of social existence. It is noted that digital mentality can be defined as a complex of cognitive, emotional and behavioral schemes that are formed under the influence of digital media and determine the way of interacting with information and other people. The virtualization of social communication is a key mechanism of this transformation, since it is in the forms of communication that changes in the ways of thinking, identification and social interaction are most clearly manifested.