Digital hyperpresence and the transformation of migrant cultural identity in new media spaces

Abstract

The article provides a philosophical interpretation of the transformation of migrant cultural identity in the context of the digitalization of the sociocultural space. It is argued that the development of new media and networked communication has significantly changed the nature of the migration experience, as physical relocation is no longer accompanied by a complete rupture with the cultural environment of the country of origin. Contemporary migrants simultaneously participate in multiple sociocultural spaces, maintaining social, cultural, and emotional connections regardless of their geographical location. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the concepts of the network society, liquid modernity, numerology, the “Third Space,” and heterotopias. On this basis, the author introduces the concept of digital hyperpresence, defined as a state of continuous multi-level involvement of the subject in multiple digital spaces of communication and cultural interaction regardless of physical location. The study demonstrates that digital hyperpresence functions as an important factor in the formation of hybrid models of cultural identity and creates conditions for the emergence of the phenomenon of digital rootedness, in which a sense of belonging is maintained through continuous networked interaction. The article argues that digital migration is not merely a consequence of the development of information and communication technologies but also a specific mode of being in a network society, within which traditional understandings of home, cultural memory, presence, and authenticity are reinterpreted. The proposed approach expands the possibilities for the philosophical analysis of contemporary migration processes and the transformation of cultural identity in the digital age.