Being and becoming in the culture of immediacy: An existential-ethical approach

Abstract

In this article we employ an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach to explore online immediacy from an existential-ethical perspective. While existing literature already accounts for the socio-cultural and psychological impact of constant connectivity, we venture to reveal its underlying existential-ethical implications. Our findings show the often contradictory ways in which young adults cope with the allure of immediate-aesthetic experiences on the one hand, and the challenge of authentic self-development on the other. Ultimately, we advocate for a transformative shift in which online practices are brought in alignment (are relativized) with an existential-ethical view of life. Drawing on Kierkegaard’s existential philosophy of the self, this article underscores the need to transcend the superficiality of immediacy to foster an authentic journey of being and becoming a self in a social environment that is increasingly mediated by online media technologies.