In the first issue of 2024, we delve into the intricate interplay between new media and human communication, exploring their ramifications for society, culture, and politics. The section on “New Media and Human Communication” offers an insightful analysis of the interaction between social media and higher education, examining identity construction within the university setting, and evaluates social media as a vehicle for political self-presentation through a study of Russian political party representatives' profiles. Additionally, this section addresses the virtual reenactment of historical events and the analysis of public discourse on social media as a means to probe into social issues.
The “Cinema Studies” section presents a comparative analysis of visual aesthetics and mathematics in film, exemplified by “Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone” and “The Conquest 1453.” The “Mass Culture” section is dedicated to investigating the impact of mass culture's iconic villains on the destructive behaviors of the youth, with a focus on the character of the Joker.
Our special section, “Media, Memory, Oblivion,” touches upon the media representations of the Afghan war, a critical analysis of cancel culture within the context of new media, corporate cancellations, and the forms of historical oblivion in the memory practices of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the “Miscellaneous” section, themes of primary and secondary suffering are discussed within the contexts of psychiatry, oncology, Buddhism, transhumanism, and the imperative of their surmounting.
The “Critics & Reviews” section features a review of Suzanne Kord's 2023 book on “The Cabin in the Woods,” where the film's meta-nature is analyzed through its allusions and references. Philosophical themes addressed in the film, such as the dichotomy of faith and nihilism, the ethical implications of (self-)sacrifice, humanity's place in the universe, the individual versus humanity, and the question of free will, are meticulously examined.
This issue offers a multi-layered analysis of current trends in media, culture, and society, providing readers with a profound understanding of contemporary social dynamics.