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(c) Stefania Lucchetti
Translation of extract of Stefania Lucchetti’s book “Dinamiche Relazionali e Decisionali dei Gruppi di Lavoro Virtuali (2024) (Relational and decision making dynamics of virtual work groups”
When we turn on a computer, open a program, write an email, or browse a website, we immerse ourselves in a “place” rich in meaning, even though it is virtual. But what is cyberspace really? Is it merely a technological tool, or is it an extension of our reality?
Cyberspace as a Virtual Place
Thinking of cyberspace as a place is natural, thanks to the terminology used to describe it: worlds, domains, windows, virtual rooms. Platforms like Zoom and Teams, which became extremely familiar during the COVID-19 pandemic, evoke the idea of shared spaces. These terms create the perception of a defined and inhabited place where people interact and exchange information.
But the evolution of cyberspace goes further. With the advent of the metaverse, cyberspace is transforming into a three-dimensional simulation of real life. Although the concept remains vaguely defined, I would frame the metaverse as the interactions of individuals in virtual space (ie the cyberspace) through their real or constructed self (avatar).
A Place of Transition and Identity
From a psychoanalytic perspective, cyberspace can be considered a “transitional space” (Suler, 1999; Turkle, 1995), an extension of our intrapsychic world. Receiving a message or viewing a webpage creates a sense of context, transforming this space into a social dimension.
For many young digital natives, cyberspace is more than an extension; it is a reality where personal and collective identities are built. Technological devices become mental prostheses—tools that both reflect and shape personality.
From Text to Multimedia
Cyberspace, born as a text-dominated environment, is now a multimedia reality. We offer and receive visual, auditory, and interactive experiences that allow us to shape virtual worlds increasingly similar to real or idealized ones. This shift has fostered the creation of exclusively virtual social groups, giving rise to the concept of digital citizenship.
The metaverse represents a further step in this evolution: a space where multimedia experiences become immersive, allowing users to live parallel lives. It is a place that simulates reality but requires critical reflection: How do modes of communication in cyberspace differ from those in the real world? Which aspects mirror offline behavior, and which fundamentally alter it?
Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship is not just about having rights and duties online. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “citizenship” also refers to “the quality of an individual’s response to membership in a community.”
This definition highlights the complexity of the concept, which requires awareness, interaction, and an understanding of the cultural and social context. Digital citizenship involves the ability to relate responsibly and consciously within virtual communities, constantly reflecting on the impact of one’s actions.
Communication Dynamics in Cyberspace
Interactions in cyberspace are characterized by specific elements:
- Communication venue: the digital context where exchanges occur.
- Communication modality: textual, visual, auditory, or multimodal.
- Purpose of communication: socialization, information, work, or entertainment.
- Implicit norms: unwritten rules that emerge in interactions.
- Communication dynamics: influenced by the technological and social characteristics of the medium.
These aspects define a psychological space that functions as a “room” with implicit rules and dynamic interactions. Reflecting on these modalities is essential to understanding how cyberspace mirrors or diverges from real-world dynamics.
The Birth of Cyberpsychology
Understanding these dynamics has led to the birth of cyberpsychology, a discipline dedicated to studying human behavior in cyberspace. Initially, scholars focused on communicative aspects, but they soon realized that traditional theories could not fully explain this new social field.
Today, cyberpsychology examines how traditional psychological phenomena manifest online and how new, unique phenomena emerge in the digital context. Studies by Suler and Barak (2007) show that while some virtual experiences are comparable to offline ones, others are peculiar to cyberspace.
Conclusions: A Dialogue Between Reality and Virtuality
Cyberspace, and with it the metaverse—which encompasses the relationships and communications occurring in cyberspace—creates a new social dimension, bridging reality and the virtual. As individuals create and inhabit these new social dimensions, fundamental questions arise: How do we interact in these spaces? Are the modes of communication truly so different from those in the real world? And why?
The academic community is actively working to better understand these phenomena, with contemporary scholars such as Jon D. Elhai, Isabel Rodríguez-de-Dios, and Davide Marengo exploring specific aspects of human interaction in digital environments. For example, the relationship between intensive social media use and psychological distress, or the role of dating apps in personal relationships, are just some of the topics being addressed.
However, the speed at which digital environments evolve makes this observation an ongoing process. The fluid and dynamic nature of cyberspace calls for an interdisciplinary and adaptable approach capable of keeping pace with technological innovations and their psychological, social, and cultural implications.
Constantly questioning the modes of communication in cyberspace and their relationship to the real world is not merely a theoretical exercise but a necessity. Only in this way can we fully understand how these dimensions influence our identity and relationships and how we navigate an increasingly interconnected reality.
(c) Stefania Lucchetti
