Cybermigration: Connections, Human Mobility and Media Culture. An Italian Case Study

Abstract

The migration process, dependent on international interconnections and the symbolic contents of the media, now sees a new protagonist, a new social subject-nomadic, cosmopolitan, capable of redefining himself, crossing geographical and cultural barriers, sustained by the power of electronic (and digital) media, able to imagine the future and himself within new environments (online and offline), exploiting opportunities and running significant risks (fake news or digital trafficking of migrants, surveillance, for example). This individual is the cybermigrant. Cybermigration is a new form of human mobility in the digital environment and focuses in particular on two aspects: social-digital capital and online security (Buoncompagni, 2020). This research starts from Bordieu’s line of thought and highlights several theories of particular importance, focusing in particular on a new form of “social-digital capital” (Boyd & Ellison, 2007; De Feo & Pitzalis, 2015) that can be applied to migration and the various forms of communication involved. Furthermore, the social use of media by migrants before and after their journey to Italy is investigated. The methodology mainly used is that of the focus group.