Digital social networks as a space to be another: a theoretical discussion

Abstract

The research analyzes the application of new concepts such as Marcus Gabriel's field of meaning (2019), Jean Baudrillard's simulation (2010), and Byung-Chul Han (2018ª) positivization to research related to participation of individuals in the digital space. The research aims to expand the theoretical approach to these topics beyond psychosocial analysis, seeking a phenomenological reflection that allows us to inquire who is the man in front of the screen? And how to understand their actions and their multiple facets in their digital social networks? To anchor the concepts, a brief analysis is made taking two events of impersonated users on social networks. Finally, the need arises for the study of the phenomena of digital networks to be separated from traditional areas of study that correspond to other social reflections, allowing these problems to be thought from new concepts that take a look beyond the productive operation of the Internet and delve into the anthropological change that they are generating through positivization, the spectacular and the modification of the image and similarity of what each Internet user would like to see of himself.