Digital niches: ontological and cognitive status of the modern user in a seamless reality

• Evgeniya Nikolaeva Universidad Federal de Kazán, Kazán, Rusia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0150-1611
• Polina Kotliar Universidad Federal de Kazán, Kazán, Rusia. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4795-8841
• Mikhail Nikolaev Universidad Federal de Kazán, Kazán, Rusia. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7200-7488
• Aisylu Kamaleeva Universidad Federal de Kazán, Kazán, Rusia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3284-3358

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11156373

Keywords: existential and cognitive niche, seamless reality, fundamental reality, digital environment, devices, digital paternalism

Abstract

The article discusses the impact of the Internet and the digital environment on the ontological and cognitive position of modern users. The study, conducted at Kazan Federal University, Russia, consists of two phases: empirical and theoretical. In the empirical phase, a survey of experts from various fields, such as medicine, psychology, philosophy and media, was carried out to obtain information on media consumption in digital environments. The results reveal that the boundary between "virtual" and "real" is blurring, and modern users are increasingly connected to the digital environment. An increase in the degree of childishness of the subject is observed, as digitalization offers a perfect world that compensates for the limitations of the real world. The theoretical phase was based on the concept of "cognitive niche" by J. von Uexküll and the idea of "embodied cognition" by F. Varela, E. Thompson and E. Roche. These theoretical frameworks made it possible to understand the digital user experience as a unique cognitive practice, influenced by body immersion in specific environments. It is concluded that digitalization has led to practices of online violence, such as manipulation, intimidation, and control through information and communication technologies. In addition, users leave a unique digital footprint on the network, allowing for the personalization of content and recommendations tailored to their interests, but also limiting their exposure to new perspectives and creating an illusion of existential completeness.

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