Digital Dimensions
Asynchronous Session
Featured Virtual National Islands in the Cosmopolitan Ocean of Digital Dreams: The (Re)Production of National Identities and Territories on Social Virtual Reality Platforms
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Jan Waligórski
The dream of a post-national reality is rooted in the advent of the Internet and resurfaces with each new immersive realm of cyberspace, including social virtual reality (VR) platforms. Social VR platforms consist of thousands of interconnected, user-created 3D virtual worlds, which serve as spaces for various socio-cultural activities, such as gatherings, games, and work Social VR is often viewed by researchers as a site for forming post-national communities that transcend physical borders. However, this view is rooted more in the methodological assumptions of existing studies (methodological cosmopolitanism) than in the actual nature of these virtual cultures. First, field research has predominantly been conducted in English, thus privileging users fluent in international communication. Second, these studies often rely on “digital dualism,” a framework that treats physical and digital spaces as distinct. While some argue that the primary constraint of social VR is users’ imagination, this ethnographic inquiry seeks to question whether we can genuinely envision a post-national (virtual) reality. Social VR platforms offer a opportunity to pose anthropological questions: when users are given the freedom to create a new reality, what image of reality is deeply rooted in the human imagination? The aim of this paper is to present my findings from ethnographic studies on the reproduction of national identities in subtle ways within social VR. It describes how banal nationalism is unconsciously replicated in virtual landscapes and territories—often visualized as national islands surrounded by a virtual ocean—in conflicts, game narratives, and the very structure of social VR platforms.
Have Your Crops Withered? A Phenomenology of the Farmville Experience
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Dr. Becky Meadows
It is with glee that farmers in the virtual world of Farmville see the fruit of their trees ripen for picking or their crops ready for harvest; it is with some version of sadness that they see their crops have withered because they neglected to harvest them in time. There is something akin to real farming in the world of Farmville, and yet, the experience is a virtual one. What constitutes that virtual farming experience? What draws us to the mental life of this farming world? There is an element of safety in it in that if our crops wither, we may not suffer monetary loss (although we may suffer some depending on whether we have paid money to purchase Farmville dollars to purchase seeds), and there is an element of pride in growing prize roses, even though they are images on a computer screen. The life of a Farmville farmer is a mental one, one along the lines of experience explained by famous phenomenologists such as Edmund Husserl, a mental lifeworld experience that parallels the experience of the fictive world of the novel yet allows for our own interaction—and our own responsibility for the virtual world of our own creating. This drives the Farmville experience.
Featured Narrative Strategies in Email Advertising: Persuasion through Storytelling
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Rima Jamil Malkawi
Storytelling has long been recognised as a potent tool for persuasive communication in broader email marketing and, precisely, email advertising. This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature by examining how Denning’s narrative patterns are used in marketing emails to attract customer’s attention and persuade them of products or services. Drawing on Aristotle’s persuasion theory and Denning’s framework of narrative patterns, we conducted a qualitative and descriptive quantitative analysis on a corpus of 200 marketing emails authored by email copywriting expert Ben Settle. This exploratory study, which examines the persuasive nature of the narrative strategies of storytelling within advertising emails, reveals that the most effective emails incorporate testimonials, utilise third-party narratives, and feature credible characters. In addition, the findings indicate that crafting stories that align with target customers' interests may increase engagement and sales, as observed in Settles’ emails. These strategies may also enhance the authenticity and credibility of the advertised products, thereby increasing the brand’s selling potential. These findings have practical implications for marketers, highlighting the importance of incorporating storytelling techniques, such as testimonials and third-party narratives, into advertising emails to enhance their effectiveness.
GenAI Uses and Challenges in Society : A Macro Level Analysis
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Ajmal Aminee
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has become a transformative force across personal, academic, and professional domains, reshaping societal structures. This study explores GenAI's adoption, societal impact, and ethical challenges through a macro-level analysis, based on a survey of 542 participants. The research examines demographic disparities, digital literacy, and cultural influences to assess usage patterns, perceptions, and barriers to integration. Findings reveal significant demographic disparities in GenAI adoption. Younger adults, particularly those aged 26–35, and individuals with higher education levels are frequent users, leveraging GenAI for professional tasks like coding and data analysis. Conversely, marginalized communities face barriers such as limited infrastructure and low digital literacy, emphasizing the need for equitable access and tailored training. Digital literacy emerged as a critical factor, with professionals in fields like technology and healthcare reporting higher adoption rates. The study underscores the importance of designing accessible and user-friendly systems to bridge the digital divide. Ethical concerns, including bias, accountability, and privacy, significantly shape societal perceptions of GenAI. Participants highlighted the need for transparent, culturally sensitive, and ethically designed systems to foster trust and responsible adoption. While GenAI enhances creativity and productivity, concerns about mental health and societal inequities persist. This research provides actionable insights into promoting equitable and ethical GenAI integration. By addressing barriers to access, fostering transparency, and embedding ethical principles, GenAI can drive innovation and equity, ensuring its benefits are shared across diverse societal frameworks.
