Migrants in Social Networks: Escape from Reality or Spawning a New Digital Reality
Research Article
How to Cite
Volkov Y.G., Kurbatov V.I., Dyuzhikov S.A., Luyev A.K. Migrants in Social Networks: Escape from Reality or Spawning a New Digital Reality. Humanities of the South of Russia. 2021. Vol. 11. No. 5. P. 19-30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18522/2227-8656.2021.5.1 (in Russ.).
Abstract
Objective of the study. Migrants began to see in social networks a solution for many of their own issues, including information problems, forming a virtual identity – acquiring virtual values instead of real ones, organizing into virtual communities in general, into virtual ethnic digital diasporas. This formulates the main goal of this research in the form of studying the phenomenon of the digital diaspora and digital migrant as an object and subject of this research.
The study of this new reality, its relation to the traditional reality is an important and urgent research task, since it gives rise to new tendencies and trends, the comprehension of which fills with new content such problems as the adaptation of migrants, their new, including digital identity, which characterizes in a new way social and ethnic capital of migrants.
The methodological basis of the research. For a systematic understanding of the subject of this study, it is necessary to comprehend digital youth migration in the form of a withdrawal to digital reality in the form of an ethnic digital diaspora as a new type of informational sociality; it is also required to comprehend this phenomenon as migrant social media. This approach is implemented in the works of such Russian researchers as A.P. Glukhov, G.Z. Efimova, Z. V. Zyuban, S.O. Kremleva and others.
It should be noted that understanding the concepts of “digital migrant” and “digital diaspora” also involves the use of the principles of reality explication (social, communication, consensus and media reality), understanding the construct as a virtual model for explaining reality.
Research results. Young people became a generation of social networks, spending most of their lives there, organizing themselves into network communities according to their interests and needs, establishing communication virtual connections, preferring virtual reality to traditional reality, as a result, they form a virtual identity, acquiring virtual values instead of real ones, spending most of their productive time in the world of virtual communication, computer games and aimless wandering around the sites. This creates the basis for replacing traditional reality with virtual reality and significantly transforms the social behavior of young people who immigrate their real world to the virtual world, turning this generation into online migrants.
Prospects of the study. It is necessary to study the behavioral patterns of youth network migrants, and this is connected with the study of the forms of network socialization, the specifics of communication in social networks, the peculiarities of the formation of virtual identity and, of course, the analysis of those informational youth values that oppose the virtual world to the real world.
Keywords:
migrants, digital migrants, social networks, ethnic digital diaspora, social capital of migrants, social adaptation, virtual identity
References
Glukhov, A.P. (2015). Terra incognita of social networks as a new discourse platform for migrants in Russia. Nauchnyy al'manakh, 10-4 (12), 343-346. (In Russian).
Efimova, G.Z., Zyuban, Z.V. (2016). Impact of social media on personality. Mir nauki, 4, 5. Available at: http://mir-nauki.com/PDF/20PSMN516.pdf. (In Russian).
Zorina, O. A. The influence of social networks on the spiritual and moral education of youth. Obrazovanie Yamala. Available at: http://yamal-obr.ru/articles/ vliyanie-socialnykh-setejj-na-dukhovno-n/. (In Russian).
Kremleva, S.O. Online communities. Portalus. Available at: http:// www.portalus.ru/ modules/psychology/rus_readme.php?subaction=showfull&id=1106643505&archive=01&start_from=&ucat=16&. (In Russian).
Lapshina, E. (2010). Migration and marginality in the context of the sociology of social space. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Sotsiologiya, 12 (1). (In Russian).
Maklyuen, M. (2007). Understanding media: external extensions of a person. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole Publ. (In Russian).
Rzaeva, S. (2015). Ethnic social network as a mechanism of migration and adaptation in the host society: on the concept and structure. Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Istoriya, 395. (In Russian).
Timoshkin, D. (2019). Trust vs Disinfor-mation: The Economy of Russian-Speaking "Migrant" Groups on Social Networks. Ekonomi-cheskaya sotsiologiya, 20, 5. (In Russian).
Bakewell, O., Engbersen, G., Fonseca, M. L., Horst, C. (Eds.). (2016). Beyond networks: Feedback in international migration. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
Baldassar, L., Nedelcu, M., Merla, L., Wilding, R. (2016). ICT-based co-presence in transnational families and communities: Challenging the premise of face-to-face proximity in sustaining relationsh. Global Networks, 16, 133-144, doi: 10.1111/ glob.12108.
Brinkerhoff, J. (2009). Digital diasporas: Identity and transnational engagement. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Deleva, Z. (2010). Conceptualizing Migration in Europe: Selected Theoretical Approaches. Institute of European Studies and International Relations Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences Comenius University Working Paper, 4, 3-40.
Diker, E. (2015). Social Media and Migration. Review of Political and Social research Institute of Europe. Available at: http://ps-europe.org/social-media-and migration/.
Diminescu, D. (2008). The connected migrant: An epistemological manifesto. Social Science Information, 47, 565-579.
Everett, A. (2009). Digital diaspora: A race for cyberspace. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Hayes, A. Digital Immigrant. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/ digital-immigrant.asp.
Hepp, A., Bozdag, C., Suna, L. (2011). Mediale migranten. Wiesbaden, Germany: VS Verlag.
Howard, R. (1993). The Virtual Community. London: Mandarin.
Leurs, K., Prabhakar, M. Doing Digital Migration Studies: Methodological Considerations for an Emerging Research Focus. Available at: https://link.springer.com/ chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-76861-8-14.
Marino, S. (2016). Making space, making place: Digital togetherness and the redefinition of migrant identities online. Social Media + Society, 1-9, doi:10.1177/ 2056305115622479.
Oiarzabal, P., Alonso, A. (Eds). (2010). Diasporas in the new media age: Identity, politics, and community. Reno: University of Nevada Press.
Pavlik, J. (2008). Media in the digital age. New York: Columbia University Press.
Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., Tacchi, J. (2016). Digital ethnography principles. London: England SAGE.
Prensky, М. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. From On the Horizon. MCB University Press, 9, 5.
Efimova, G.Z., Zyuban, Z.V. (2016). Impact of social media on personality. Mir nauki, 4, 5. Available at: http://mir-nauki.com/PDF/20PSMN516.pdf. (In Russian).
Zorina, O. A. The influence of social networks on the spiritual and moral education of youth. Obrazovanie Yamala. Available at: http://yamal-obr.ru/articles/ vliyanie-socialnykh-setejj-na-dukhovno-n/. (In Russian).
Kremleva, S.O. Online communities. Portalus. Available at: http:// www.portalus.ru/ modules/psychology/rus_readme.php?subaction=showfull&id=1106643505&archive=01&start_from=&ucat=16&. (In Russian).
Lapshina, E. (2010). Migration and marginality in the context of the sociology of social space. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Sotsiologiya, 12 (1). (In Russian).
Maklyuen, M. (2007). Understanding media: external extensions of a person. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole Publ. (In Russian).
Rzaeva, S. (2015). Ethnic social network as a mechanism of migration and adaptation in the host society: on the concept and structure. Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Istoriya, 395. (In Russian).
Timoshkin, D. (2019). Trust vs Disinfor-mation: The Economy of Russian-Speaking "Migrant" Groups on Social Networks. Ekonomi-cheskaya sotsiologiya, 20, 5. (In Russian).
Bakewell, O., Engbersen, G., Fonseca, M. L., Horst, C. (Eds.). (2016). Beyond networks: Feedback in international migration. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave MacMillan.
Baldassar, L., Nedelcu, M., Merla, L., Wilding, R. (2016). ICT-based co-presence in transnational families and communities: Challenging the premise of face-to-face proximity in sustaining relationsh. Global Networks, 16, 133-144, doi: 10.1111/ glob.12108.
Brinkerhoff, J. (2009). Digital diasporas: Identity and transnational engagement. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Deleva, Z. (2010). Conceptualizing Migration in Europe: Selected Theoretical Approaches. Institute of European Studies and International Relations Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences Comenius University Working Paper, 4, 3-40.
Diker, E. (2015). Social Media and Migration. Review of Political and Social research Institute of Europe. Available at: http://ps-europe.org/social-media-and migration/.
Diminescu, D. (2008). The connected migrant: An epistemological manifesto. Social Science Information, 47, 565-579.
Everett, A. (2009). Digital diaspora: A race for cyberspace. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Hayes, A. Digital Immigrant. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/ digital-immigrant.asp.
Hepp, A., Bozdag, C., Suna, L. (2011). Mediale migranten. Wiesbaden, Germany: VS Verlag.
Howard, R. (1993). The Virtual Community. London: Mandarin.
Leurs, K., Prabhakar, M. Doing Digital Migration Studies: Methodological Considerations for an Emerging Research Focus. Available at: https://link.springer.com/ chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-76861-8-14.
Marino, S. (2016). Making space, making place: Digital togetherness and the redefinition of migrant identities online. Social Media + Society, 1-9, doi:10.1177/ 2056305115622479.
Oiarzabal, P., Alonso, A. (Eds). (2010). Diasporas in the new media age: Identity, politics, and community. Reno: University of Nevada Press.
Pavlik, J. (2008). Media in the digital age. New York: Columbia University Press.
Pink, S., Horst, H., Postill, J., Hjorth, L., Lewis, T., Tacchi, J. (2016). Digital ethnography principles. London: England SAGE.
Prensky, М. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. From On the Horizon. MCB University Press, 9, 5.
Article
Received: 02.09.2021
Accepted: 01.12.2021
Citation Formats
Other cite formats:
APA
Volkov, Y. G., Kurbatov, V. I., Dyuzhikov, S. A., & Luyev, A. K. (2021). Migrants in Social Networks: Escape from Reality or Spawning a New Digital Reality. Humanities of the South of Russia, 11(5), 19-30. https://doi.org/10.18522/2227-8656.2021.5.1
Section
MODERN RUSSIAN SOCIETY
