https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/ Virtual space and social media studies en daily 1 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_241674.html Introduction: This study investigates the structure, function, and evolving capacities of community media in Iranian rural contexts, with a specific focus on how these media operate under significant financial, institutional, and educational constraints. Despite these limitations, rural community media in Iran have emerged as influential agents in cultural preservation, civic mobilization, and local development. The study is grounded in the understanding that media in the contemporary era are no longer monopolized by centralized institutions but have become increasingly participatory, decentralized, and locally embedded. As mobile and internet access expand into even the most remote areas, villagers are not only consumers of media but also its producers, curators, and gatekeepers.Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological approach was adopted to explore the lived experiences and operational logics of rural media producers in Iran. The primary data source consisted of semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with twelve editors or managers of rural media outlets, all of whom actively publish local content on social platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, or other digital channels. The participants were selected purposively from eleven different provinces to reflect a range of geographic, demographic, and media-operational contexts. The selection criteria emphasized active and consistent media engagement, geographic dispersion, and community impact.Results: A consistent theme across interviews was the editors’ avoidance of national or partisan political content. Instead, the media focused almost exclusively on hyper-local matters. This strategic exclusion of controversial content served to preserve community cohesion and trust. Editors reported that political neutrality allowed them to maintain broad-based credibility and engage diverse segments of the population. Some even noted that national-level political content produced hostility or disengagement among their audiences, prompting a shift toward culturally resonant and emotionally grounded storytelling. In several cases, media channels became forums for showcasing local dialects, traditional customs, and village folklore-functions which contributed significantly to intergenerational cultural continuity and the reinforcement of communal identity.Participation models varied across platforms but were generally marked by strong audience involvement. In most cases, content was supplied not only by the editors but also by community members, local officials, and village elders. This collective model of content production resulted in narratives that were deeply rooted in local realities and widely accepted as authentic. Editors often described themselves not as professional journalists but as facilitators or stewards of communal voice. Moreover, many outlets implemented practices of informal news verification, content filtering, and ethical gatekeeping, even though the editors lacked formal media training.Despite their amateur status, most editors demonstrated considerable skill in multimedia content production using smartphones and accessible applications. While the production quality was modest, the content aligned closely with audience expectations. Notably, the success of these media outlets was not measured by audience size, monetization, or digital reach, but by their ability to affect real-world change. For example, several editors recounted instances where their platforms were instrumental in organizing donations, executing development projects such as building sports fields or improving water access, and advocating for village needs before local authorities.Economically, all media outlets studied were non-commercial and operated on a voluntary basis. Editors typically funded the platforms out of personal resources or small community contributions. Advertising was generally minimal or completely absent, as editors expressed concern that commercial content could compromise the perceived integrity of the media. Some editors had received offers for paid promotions, especially during elections, but most declined them or redirected the proceeds to charitable initiatives. The labor invested in content production was significant, and editors frequently described the experience as time-consuming and emotionally demanding, but also fulfilling and socially impactful.Discussion: The study demonstrates that rural community media in Iran, despite their limited resources, fulfill a broad spectrum of social functions and have evolved into influential platforms for cultural resilience and community-driven development. They adhere closely to the principles of community media as defined in the academic literature: locally owned, participatory, non-commercial, and oriented toward collective empowerment rather than passive consumption. These media serve as digital commons-sites of memory, identity, resistance, and action-that offer alternatives to both state-controlled and market-driven communication systems.Perhaps most significantly, these outlets operate outside formal media ecosystems, yet they exhibit high levels of functionality, legitimacy, and community trust. Their success is attributable not to technical sophistication or institutional affiliation, but to cultural embeddedness, editorial responsiveness, and the participatory nature of content creation. In an era when centralized media struggle with declining public trust and relevance, rural community media offer a compelling alternative that centers lived experience, local knowledge, and relational accountability. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_242223.html Introduction: Today, with the advancement of technology, many features are available to users. However, these possibilities come with some risks and threats. It is very important that users can benefit from the technology’s capabilities at the highest level while minimizing existing risks. In this regard, digital babysitting is a condition of environmental poverty that deprives young children of essential learning opportunities and interferes with their social interactions. In fact, digital babysitting refers to the constant use of digital devices to entertain or soothe children, which can replace human interactions and affect cognitive and emotional development. Research has also shown that digital babysitting can cause behaviors similar to those of people with autism spectrum disorder and deviations in the structure and functions of young children’s brains. Therefore, the present study aimed to analysis of the lived experiences of mothers with autistic children regarding the consequences of digital nannying.Methods: The approach of the present research was qualitative and interpretive phenomenological. The target group included all mothers of children aged 5 to 12 with autism-like disorder in Yazd city in 2024-2025, of whom 9 were selected as samples through criterion-based purposive sampling and in compliance with the theoretical data saturation law. The research tool was a semi-structured in-depth interview. Initially, 7 participants were interviewed and saturation was achieved. For greater certainty, two other participants were interviewed again. To determine the validity of the data, the opinions of some qualitative researchers and research participants were reviewed and compared. Coding was also carried out and compared by the researcher and another expert in the qualitative field.Results: Finally, mothers’ experienced perceptions were organized into 2 main themes (consequences and harms caused by digital babysitting on children and consequences and harms caused by digital babysitting on the family) and 18 sub-themes. In this regard, the harms of digital babysitting on children include vision problems, sleep problems, decreased physical health with unhealthy behavior, decreased attention to personal hygiene, aggression, decreased concentration and attention, decreased problem-solving ability, decreased duration of physical games, increased stress and anxiety, decreased life satisfaction, increased emotional dependence on digital devices instead of human communication, decreased academic performance, increased school absences, and decreased study time. On the other hand, the harms of digital babysitting on the family included a decrease in the quality of family communication, a decrease in the duration of family interactions, a decrease in social interactions, and an increase in isolation and loneliness. The results of the study of mothers’ perceptions showed that digital babysitting can have widespread effects on children’s physical and mental health and cause symptoms similar to mild autism spectrum disorder in their children.Discussion: In order to reduce the negative effects of digital babysitting, it is recommended that parents increase their knowledge about the use of digital media, set appropriate rules and regulations for the use of these tools at home, and strengthen family interactions. Also, by creating more suitable environments and reducing work and daily stress, parents can help improve their own and their children’s conditions. Providing counseling and support services to parents can also be effective in better managing these challenges. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_237501.html Introduction: In the digital age, social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok have become integral to the daily lives of university students, offering avenues for communication, entertainment, and information exchange. While these platforms provide numerous benefits, their excessive and often compulsive use has raised serious concerns regarding students’ mental health and academic functioning. Social media addiction (SMA)-defined by uncontrollable and excessive engagement with digital platforms-has been linked to psychological disturbances including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. These mental health challenges may, in turn, impair students’ academic engagement, a multidimensional construct encompassing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral involvement in learning activities. Academic engagement is widely recognized as a key predictor of academic success, persistence, and psychological well-being. Students who are actively engaged in their studies tend to demonstrate greater motivation, concentration, and resilience. However, emerging evidence suggests that SMA disrupts these patterns, leading to reduced study time, increased procrastination, and diminished academic focus. The present study investigates the direct and indirect effects of SMA on academic engagement, with particular emphasis on the mediating roles of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. By elucidating the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship, the study aims to inform targeted interventions that enhance both academic performance and mental health among university students.Methods: This applied research utilized a descriptive-correlational design to examine the relationships among SMA, mental health variables, and academic engagement. The statistical population comprised undergraduate students enrolled at the Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, during the 2024-2025 academic year. A sample of 150 students was selected through simple random sampling to ensure representativeness. Data were collected using five standardized self-report instruments: the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to assess the severity of SMA; the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to measure symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively; Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) to evaluate global self-worth; and the Academic Engagement Scale (AES) to assess students’ involvement in academic activities. All instruments demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity in prior Iranian and international studies. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to examine bivariate relationships among the variables. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the mediating effects of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem in the relationship between SMA and academic engagement. The analysis followed Baron and Kenny’s mediation framework, allowing for the identification of both direct and indirect pathways.Results: The results revealed a significant negative correlation between SMA and academic engagement (r = -0.47, p < 0.01), indicating that higher levels of addiction were associated with lower levels of academic involvement. SMA was positively correlated with depression (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and anxiety (r = 0.49, p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with self-esteem (r = -0.44, p < 0.01). These findings suggest that excessive social media use is linked to increased psychological distress and diminished self-worth. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that depression, anxiety, and self-esteem each served as partial mediators in the relationship between SMA and academic engagement. Among these, depression emerged as the strongest mediator, accounting for a substantial proportion of the variance in academic engagement. Specifically, when depression was entered into the regression model, the direct effect of SMA on academic engagement was significantly reduced, indicating a robust indirect pathway. Anxiety and self-esteem also contributed to the mediation effect, albeit to a lesser extent.Discussion: The findings of this study underscore the detrimental impact of SMA on students’ academic engagement, both directly and through its influence on mental health variables. The mediating role of depression suggests that excessive social media use may lead to emotional exhaustion, hopelessness, and reduced motivation, all of which undermine students’ ability to engage meaningfully with academic tasks. Similarly, heightened anxiety may impair concentration and increase avoidance behaviors, while low self-esteem may erode students’ confidence in their academic abilities and reduce their willingness to participate in learning activities. These results are consistent with previous research indicating that SMA is associated with psychological distress and academic underperformance. For instance, Landa-Blanco et al. (2024) found that SMA indirectly reduced academic engagement through increased depression and reduced self-esteem. Oztekin (2024) similarly highlighted the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationship between internet addiction and academic disengagement. The present study extends these findings by demonstrating the simultaneous mediating effects of multiple mental health variables within an Iranian university context. In conclusion, this study provides compelling evidence that SMA adversely affects academic engagement through its impact on depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. By identifying these mediating mechanisms, the research offers a nuanced understanding of how digital behaviors intersect with psychological functioning and academic performance. These insights can inform the design of holistic interventions that support students’ mental health and academic success in an increasingly digital world. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_241161.html Introducion:Teaching the Holy Quran is a clear example of divine proximity and a sufficient obligation for the Islamic society, the realization of which in the present era faces various challenges, including limited human resources and the pressing need for universal access. In this study, with the aim of explaining the permissibility of using artificial intelligence as a new tool in the process of teaching the Quran, the related jurisprudential and ijtihad implications have been meticulously analyzed. The necessity of this study is underscored by the fact that new educational technologies provide the possibility of facilitating learning, increasing access, and improving the overall quality of Quran education, all of which require thorough jurisprudential analysis for religious legitimacy.Methods: The method of the present study is descriptive-analytical and grounded in the examination of transmission, narration, and jurisprudential sources, ensuring a robust framework for the insights presented. The evidence examined encompasses a range of Quranic texts, authentic narrations, and rational principles, including distinctions between good and bad actions, as well as the necessity of obligatory introduction. Furthermore, the study delves into jurisprudential rules such as the rule of guiding the ignorant, the importance of guidance itself, the establishment of good traditions, and the overarching duty of caring for the affairs of Muslims. This comprehensive analysis of evidence reveals that teaching the Quran constitutes a sufficient obligation in the Islamic framework and that intermediary and facilitating tools, including artificial intelligence, are not only permissible but potentially beneficial in fulfilling this sacred obligation.Results:The results of the research indicate a clear religious and jurisprudential permissibility of utilizing artificial intelligence in teaching the Quran. It emphasizes that when this tool is employed with a conscientious observance of scientific conditions and educational principles, it can be transformed into a legitimate and effective strategy within the Quranic education system of the contemporary era. This approach not only accelerates the realization of the educational and moral goals of the Holy Quran but also signifies a pivotal shift in how religious education can adapt to the challenges of the modern world. As society continues to evolve, the integration of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence into Quranic teaching presents a promising avenue for fostering a deeper understanding of Islamic teachings while ensuring that the wisdom of the Quran remains accessible to all, irrespective of geographical or socio-economic barriers. In this way, the sacred obligation of imparting Quranic knowledge can be fulfilled with renewed vigor and relevance, paving the way for a more enlightened and spiritually connected society.Discussion: Moreover, it has been argued that the application of artificial intelligence, when conducted with adherence to scientific and educational criteria, does not in any way diminish the religious significance of teaching the Quran. On the contrary, it has the potential to enhance its educational impact and broaden access to Quranic knowledge for a diverse audience. By leveraging artificial intelligence, educators can tailor learning experiences to meet individual needs, thus fostering a more personalized approach to Quran education that resonates with learners from various backgrounds. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_237505.html Autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) systems challenge core assumptions of criminal law by performing complex actions with minimal human oversight. This paper asks whether such systems can bear the mental element required for criminal liability. Using a comparative method, it first clarifies key concepts such as weak/strong AI, autonomy and legal personhood, and sets out three theories of AI liability: vicarious liability through a human actor, liability based on reasonably foreseeable consequences, and direct liability where the system itself is treated as an offender.in the first model (the perpetration- via another liability model)the AI as an innocent agent such as a child could be used as a vehicle to perpetrate criminal actions.in the second model (the natural-probable-consequence liability model)imposes accountability upon individuals for offences that arise as a natural and foreseeable consequence of their action irrespective of their actual awareness of the offence .at last but not least in the third model theoretically being AI able of self-determination it can have will and knowledge of its specific action in such cases a third scenario approach is necessitated allowing the entity itself to be directly liable of its offences. It then analyses how elements of crime—physical conduct and mens rea—are defined in selected legal systems (Italy, Slovakia, Germany and the United States) and reviews recent legislation and judicial practice. The research draws on statutory analysis, doctrinal scholarship and reported cases. The findings show that no jurisdiction has yet recognised an AI system as an autonomous perpetrator; criminal liability remains anchored in human intent or negligence. While the European Union’s AI Act of 2024 emphasises human oversight, Italy’s 2025 AI Law imposes stricter transparency and harsher penalties for AI assisted offences. The article concludes that, although future technological developments may require doctrinal innovation, current law can address AI related harms through existing concepts of vicarious or negligent liability. Possible sanctions against AI systems are limited to symbolic or functional measures such as deletion of software or suspension of services. The paper advocates continued interdisciplinary collaboration to refine criminal norms as AI evolves. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_242202.html Introduction: Mass media, as one of the most powerful social institutions of the present age, play a decisive role in shaping the mental image audiences hold of the criminal phenomenon. The extensive and sometimes selective reflection of crimes in the media not only affects public perception of the reality of crime but can also lead to the creation of waves of moral panic and processes of social stigmatization. This phenomenon gains double importance within the context of cultural criminology, which emphasizes the social construction of crime and its symbolic meanings. The objective of the present study is to analyze the role of mass media in producing moral panic and stigmatization toward offenders, examine the impact of these processes on the formation of fear of crime at the societal level, and ultimately explore its consequences for contemporary criminal policy. This study attempts, with a critical perspective, to explain how media representation of crime transforms into the driving force of penal populism and the demand for strict policies.Method: The present research was conducted using the analytical-descriptive method and employing the theoretical framework of cultural criminology. Data collection was carried out through library research and review of reputable domestic and international sources in the fields of media, criminology, and criminal policy. In the descriptive section, key concepts such as media representation, moral panic, stigmatization, fear of crime, and penal populism were explained based on existing theories. In the analytical section, by comparatively examining the findings of previous research (including works by Zokaei, Asiyai, Nikookar and Hemmatpour, Gholami, as well as studies by Akdeniz and Altiparmak), the relationships among variables were analyzed, and the consequences of media representation of crime for contemporary criminal policy were critically evaluated.Findings: The research findings show that media, through various mechanisms such as exaggerating violent crimes, highlighting rare but shocking events, stereotyping offenders (especially youth and subcultural groups), and creating semantic links between crime and specific social groups, fuel the production of moral panic and intensify stigmatization. This process is usually accompanied by claims from media experts about “the moral order being at risk” and the need for decisive reaction. It was also found that there is a significant relationship between media representation of crime and increased public fear of delinquency, such that heavy media consumers experience higher levels of insecurity and fear, even if official crime statistics indicate a decrease. This induced fear provides a suitable ground for the growth of penal populism and pushes politicians toward adopting strict and symbolic approaches that respond to public demands stirred up by media, rather than being based on scientific evidence.Results: Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that media representation of crime in the current context, rather than leading to realistic awareness about the criminal phenomenon, fuels the production of moral panic, social stigmatization, and intensification of fear of crime. This situation ultimately legitimizes populist criminal policy; a policy that, by emphasizing severe punishments and retributive approaches, has not only shown its ineffectiveness in reducing crime rates but has also reinforced discriminatory stereotypes, marginalized vulnerable groups, and weakened the capacities of restorative justice. In contrast, those patterns of media representation that focus on analyzing the social roots of crime, avoiding stereotyping, and presenting a realistic picture of delinquency and offenders can help reduce moral panic and fear of crime and pave the way for adopting participatory and prevention-oriented criminal policies. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_242588.html Today, Instagram, as one of the most popular platforms, has provided a significant socio-cultural field for the study of emergent forms of social activism. The realm of animals, whether from the perspective of advocating for them or confronting population growth and its resulting harms, is one of these emerging and widely discussed arenas of the present era. In this research, we strive to study the processes of legitimization, credibility acquisition, and symbolic capital generation of two popular Iranian animal welfare bloggers, “Sajjad Nadimi” and “Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei,” and to compare their differing operational dynamics within the Instagram field. These two individuals were chosen due to their follower counts and their significant differences in cultural and social capital, despite sharing a common objective. Our analysis was conducted using a directed qualitative method, employing Bourdieu’s theoretical framework (field and capital), as a pre-existing theory helped focus on our research questions. Therefore, data from the pages of these two activists, including posts, stories, images, and hashtags, were collected over a ten-day period, aligned with the research questions, and analyzed until theoretical saturation was reached. The main codes were based on Bourdieu’s concepts, and the sub-codes or sub-categories were predominantly organized based on data recurrence. The main research questions are: How are cultural, social, and economic capital acquired and consolidated in the Instagram field, and what processes lead to the production of symbolic capital and increased social influence for these two bloggers compared to other competitors? We also addressed prominent techniques, capital transformations, and the consequences of their activism.Findings show that Bourdieu’s classic capitals within the Instagram animal advocacy field have primarily been represented in the form of digital and visual capital. “Narrativization,” “Creating distinction,” “Dichotomization,” and “Legitimation and De-legitimation” were among the most important techniques for activating symbolic capital, which led to increased visibility and the attraction of material and moral support from audiences.In a general view, the social and cultural capitals employed in “Sajjad Nadimi’s” activism, both explicitly and implicitly, often denoted Iran, Iranian society, and its culture and laws. Nadimi largely derives his symbolic legitimacy and credibility from globally recognized cultural capital. For the salvation and improvement of animals, he seeks solutions and activism outside of the local context, rather than structural interventions. In contrast, Tabatabaei, through an ethical-religious lens, attempts to critically analyze the structural and cultural conditions of the country concerning animal rights, presenting it through reliance on religious and jurisprudential teachings. The symbolic capitals of these individuals, accumulated in the form of digital capital, have been influenced by the traditional capitals of these two individuals in the real world. In fact, capitals in this field are in constant conflict. For example, the duality of love-suffering manifests as symbolic capital for the activist; that is, it creates the symbolic capital of compassion and salvation or hero-making. The accumulation of digital capital for these individuals in the form of likes and comments has led to charitable contributions from users and other virtual interactions. Furthermore, the field of action for these two individuals, both from the Instagram field and from the activists themselves, includes limitations on narration and also causes the absence of other narratives.We have also used the term “meta capital” by Nick Couldry to explain some other limitations of the blogging field. He uses this term to refer to the power of media and its influence on other fields. Therefore, animal activists, like other players in the Instagram field, are compelled to pay attention to both the rules and capital of the Instagram field itself, as well as its trans-border rules to influence other fields such as cultural development and policy-making. https://cssms.ricac.ac.ir/article_242584.html In the present era, cyberspace has become one of the main axes of social, economic, and cultural interactions. However, the penetration of communication technologies in Iranian urban societies is not simply a technological change, but a cultural transformation in everyday life; from the way parents and children communicate to the formation of consumer values, entertainment models, and social participation patterns have been influenced by the content and time spent on virtual media. These changes have sometimes led to increased generational gaps, reduced face-to-face interactions, and the formation of colder family relationships. Issues that can have more tangible effects in small, semi-traditional cities with high cultural cohesion. The city of Hajiabad in South Khorasan Province is no exception to this global trend. The expansion of access to high-speed internet and social networks has also shifted the lifestyle of urban households in this city from a traditional framework to new patterns of communication, cultural consumption, and social interaction.The aim of this study is to study the various dimensions of the impact of cyberspace on the lifestyle components of urban households in Haji Abad. The present study is of an applied type and is descriptive-analytical in nature and was conducted using a survey method. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire and its content validity was confirmed by experts in the field of media and communication sociology. The statistical population of this study consisted of all urban households (3800 households) living in Haji Abad, a city in South Khorasan Province in 1404. Using the Cochran formula, 350 households were selected as a sample by simple random sampling. Cronbach’s alpha test was used to measure the construct validity and reliability of the instrument. The coefficients obtained for the overall scale of the questionnaire were equal to 0.87, which indicates the appropriate reliability of the instrument. In order to analyze the data, Pearson correlation, independent t-test, and multivariate regression tests were used. The results of the relationship between the amount of use of cyberspace and lifestyle dimensions showed that there is a positive relationship between cyberspace and family communication patterns with a Pearson coefficient of 0.620 and consumerism with a Pearson coefficient of 0.572, and a negative and significant relationship with face-to-face interaction with a coefficient of -0.484. The results of the independent t-test of the difference between the two groups of women and men showed that there is a significant difference between women with a mean of 3.780 and men with a mean of 3.421 in terms of the effects of cyberspace on lifestyle. The results of the study of the effects of cyberspace on the lifestyle of urban households showed that the time spent daily using cyberspace with a standardized beta coefficient of 0.410 has the greatest impact on the lifestyle of urban households, followed by the type of platform used with a coefficient of 0.273 and the purpose of online presence with a coefficient of 0.221, which have the greatest positive and significant impact, but the level of intra-family interaction with a beta coefficient of -0.194 has negative effects on the lifestyle of urban households.