Volume 9, Issue 34 (Social Welfare Quarterly 2009)                   refahj 2009, 9(34): 11-31 | Back to browse issues page

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Rabiee A, Shaghasemi E. (2009). Social and Individual Pathology of the Iranian Virtual Relations: A Qualitiative Study. refahj. 9(34), 11-31.
URL: http://refahj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1836-en.html
Abstract:   (3195 Views)

Objectives: Although Internet and cyberspace have provided unprecedented opportunities for the Iranian Youth, pathology of Internet for Iranian young users has been scarcely scrutinized. Iran now contains more than a half of the Middle Eastern users in itself and the growth of the Internet in Iran has been phenomenal. Taking a critical approach to Internet friendships and liquid love, the present study manages to evaluate different dimensions of this phenomenon among the Iranian young generation. Of course blogging in Iran is a rampant phenomenon and the availability of metarial and the perceived anonymity helps the researchers to seek genuine comments about social issues on the weblogs. The fact that the bloggers and the lovers of “liquid love” both belong to the same generation will be of great help, indeed. Method: This study took a qualitative approach and gathered and analyzed relevant material regarding Internet friendships that Iranian bloggers put on their weblogs. The sampling method was a theoretical one in which we have included all the relevan material on the Iranian weblogs. Apropos, we chose four major blog provider websites, namely, Blogfa, Persianblog, Blogsky, and Blogspot.the categorization of the posts and comments on these weblogs were carried our according to their language and thus, our approach of analysis was an evaluative one. For some categories, we have provided subcategories to help shed light on the issue under scrutiny. Finally, elaborating on gathered material, authors gave an analysis and foresee aspects of future developments of such relations in Iran. Findings: Virtual relations are frustrating and most fans of these friendships will become critical of these kinds of relations in a short time. About 65% of Iranian bloggers have pure negative attitude towards liquid loves and only 20 percent of them expressed pure positive comments about these kinds of relations. The rest had mixed comments on their weblogs emphasizing the negative and positive aspects of liquid loves. The seductive nature of virtual friendships in Iran and the destructive consequences of them were among the most important factors expressed in the negative comments about virtual friendships. Those who expressed positive comments about about virtual friendship mosly emphasized on the equality and freedom offered by the new media to bypass the dominant restrictions on virtual relations. Mixed comments include positive and negative aspects of virtual friendship and tried to give a more reasonable account about the possibilities new media have provided for the youth in the developing world. Results: The general results showed that virtual friendships are a rampant phenomenon in Iran. These kinds of friendships are more embraced among those who want to have heterosexual friendships before marriage (note that this kind of friendships are currently forbidden in Iran). These relations have damaged the person's relations in family and in the circle of friends in the real world. Moreover, it was revealed that most of those who have negative attitudes towards virtual relations were those who had positive attitudes to these kinds of relations and suffered from their consequences. Therefore, it could be predicted that most of those who have already a positive stance towards virtual relations, will join the criticizers of “liquid love” although new comers will occupy their place among the cyber-utopian camp.

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Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2015/08/20 | Accepted: 2015/08/20 | Published: 2015/08/20

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