The influences of digital technologies on citizens’ national identities
“To choose to be better is to be human”. -Savulescu et al. 2004
With the widespread unemployment rates in the African continent, people from all walks of life are seeking greener pastures elsewhere around the world. While some adopt nomadic practices in search of better means of survival, others settle in their new locations. In both instances, the African migrant remains rooted in his homeland through various technologies. In the technological age, we continue to experience and explore the influences of the digital world. On the one hand, the digital world allows for the forming of alternate selves or personas – the digital identities- but it also, in turn, affects the user’s personal identity. Fuelled by this lingering feeling of incompleteness, we constantly cultivate the eagerness for self-enhancements. The desire to be better is at the heart of our human existence. Transcending the self, empowering the self, expressing the self, altering it, all amongst other processes of the self, point towards the existence of myriad processes and social domains influencing the transformation of the self.
On any day, one can find newspaper articles that tell us we have lost our humanity to smartphones or selfie addiction, or why we should be anxious about how artificial intelligence will replace our labour, or how algorithms reduce selves to mere data. Sometimes, there is a counter-narrative that new technologies can solve all health problems, prevent the catastrophic consequences of climate change, or infuse the idea of interdependence and interconnectivity. Either way, the human relationship with digital technologies enables the development of normative and ethical arguments. This becomes an extended way of simply observing and accounting for the consequences of technological change. In this commentary, however, I grapple with the idea of social media as not only an echo chamber to bounce off beliefs of the self or national identity but also a space of contestation and reimagination of existence and interactions. While the focus is on interactions between African diasporic youth and homeland communities on social media, these ideas transcend to prompt conversations around other global communities.
#Challenge_Culture as mobilization
Communication technologies have had impactful effects on ethnic and or national consciousness. These technologies, such as social media spaces, have contributed to the reimagination and re-articulation of the homeland spaces in the diaspora. As spaces of contact, interaction, and interconnectivity, the diaspora has remained in touch with fellow nationals at home and beyond. Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X – formerly known as Twitter – have continued to serve as digital worlds where users can disseminate their political views. In their social exchanges, they can introduce divergent perspectives on sociopolitical issues and, through their interactions, begin to trace and link with each other through their social interests. As the process of various interactions unfolds, individual and or collective identities form, transform, and, at some other cases, mobilize in protest.
The interactive functions of social media, such as the hashtagging, continuous sharing, and mimetic practices through ‘challenges’ updating of posts, allow for the fast transmission and retransmission of information. Social media sharing often involves the use of parody skits or memes, among others. While the end goal is to nudge laughter, there are underlying social references that might prompt debate. With the growing need to incorporate the youth in the political discussion and subsequently national democracies, political scientists amongst others have developed participatory tools to motivate citizens. Propelled by the growing use of social media and internet there has been a visible expansion of the political landscape through the sharing mentioned above mediums. Although humor and satire has existed long before the establishment of the internet, their influence and usage has grown over the years. Through memes and parody skits, political debates are enacted and shared among youth.
This avenue has allowed for inclusive engagement and expression of severe issues in a satirical way. Anyone can be a creator, and, through their creations, communicate their views in satiric ways. This practice results in the intricate formations of social links, which ideally contribute to social cohesion, belonging and social grouping. By sharing and imitating, trends are created, which may consequently lead to social mobilizations and collective action. As a result, movements may result in social change or reactions from national or global leaders. Such mobilizations or movements have come to buttress diasporic selves within their homeland cause, enacting elements of belonging and national embodiment.
Although digital technology empowers us to do more, in its quest, it unlocks potential and serves as a mirror for human imperfections. As a ‘levelled ground’ the virtual space has empowered marginalised voices and consequently unveiled issues previously ignored by sociopolitical structures. As an outlet for frustration, social media has contributed to a participatory democracy notion. Although this is encouraged, there is also room for dangers of abuse to arise. While memes, parody skits, and other forms of digital content can achieve positive outcomes, in some instances, organizations, and other power structures may utilize the virtual spaces to spread propaganda or misinformation within the virtual community. Through the sharing and replicating of transmission forces, social media may be weaponised and used to mobilize destruction and propel exclusion.
Virtual potentials
Globalisation has been commonly charactised as one of the varied forces of interconnectivity, cultural exchange and sometimes culture erasure amongst people. While some scholars have in the years seen it as corrosive to geographic and social identities, persons still hold onto these identity markers and through it connect with others. Through the internet the citizen is able to reinforce, reimagine, and maintain their national identities. In their interactions, they have managed to raise their national flags. This has either prompted interconnectivity or tension due to the online debates. In the midst of tension and discomfort how does one maintain their national identity? Some debates for example enact discussions or feelings of exclusion especially when they reinforce stereotypes. In such cases, holding onto one’s national identity becomes a challenge. Despite being seen as a structureless and boundless space there still exists invisible forms of power within the digital space. With sociopolitical tensions such as xenophobia, racism, and other forms of social violence, social media in its perceived nothingness can become a space for the materialisation of otherness. How does one then exist? How does one then claim their national identity or other identity markers?
We constantly negotiate and renegotiate our being. While online communications have afforded and challenged the reproduction of conceptual understandings of national identity, self, and culture, they also contribute to provocations around redress, transformation and recovery. Although experience can be understood as a situated knowledge it still needs to be shared. By sharing our cultural symbols via digital technologies, we further affirm who we are. Through these sharing processes the self influences the articulation of its identity and nudges conversations around the politics of redistribution and politics of recognition. This raises curiosities regarding vulnerabilities and ongoing social injustices. With constant thought exchange, solutions may be sought and possibly make their way into policy frameworks. This however is only possible if we listen for understanding and take peoples experiences into account.
Within the changing political landscape, social media space plays an important role in holding debate spaces for political and social issues. Additionally, it also serves as a watchdog of the political power figures through the investigative reporting efforts of its users. Although physically severed by distance, the online presence of diasporic citizens still puts them in contact with their state issues. Through commentary on national issues, they contribute to information mobilities, thereby increasing global traction on issues affecting their fellow citizens in their homelands. This echoes through magnitudes and mobilizes masses for change.
Conclusion
The human is no complete being; through social encounters, it is afforded chances for self- enhancement. Though distant from what is familiar, humans still find ways to remain connected to their homelands and exercise citizenry. Democracy is still an emerging phenomenon that is challenged in different spaces, virtual and physical. With the growing need for youth involvement in national issues, the virtual community allows for negotiation, dialogue, and grappling with sociopolitical matters. Although spread across the globe, the African youth remain an integral part of national homelands. Though severed with distance, these global social mobilizations enabled through social media exchanges have unveiled social groups’ frustrations in intrinsic ways. In a time when the political landscape is changing to include digital technologies such as social media, views shared in those spaces must be considered as the people’s voice. Politicians must not look the other way but engage with the opinions shared by the people.
Thelma Nyarhi is a research intern at the DDP and writes in her own capacity.
