The Virtual Person and Transmitting Cultural Values to the Digital Generation

Abstract

The modern era emphasizes new types of subjectivity, including digital genera­tion and its radical transformation in the image of a virtual person. The values aimed at “network success”, “digital footprint”, the desire to consume ready-made content, come into collision with traditional values based on reflexive comprehension. The article analyzes the problem of transferring humanitarian values to the digital generation. Attention is focused, firstly, on the characteris­tics of a virtual person; secondly, on the use of the “online platform” metaphor as a pattern for communicating cultural values; thirdly, on the analysis of the pro­gramming impact of digital technologies. The research relies on A. Clark’s the­ory of expanding capabilities of mind, on the conclusions by D. Haraway regard­ing cyborg, on J. Urry’s views on modern society, represented by complex socio-natural hybrids, on H. Tolu’s view on cyber-luddism. The article demonstrates that the translation of cultural values is based on the effect of “datafication” and the “data is essential” criterion. The effects of the digital world are viewed as be­ing ambivalent by nature. The adoption of human-digital integration is accompa­nied by a sharp opposition to the world created by computers and networks. Conclusions are drawn on the need for humanitarian protest against the tendency to destroy human values.