1. Introduction This work describes some of the ways in which metaverse and immersive technologies are interwoven with world conceptions, political and social ideals, and with the idea of what our society considers desirable or possible. The thesis analyzes past, present and future visions of the metaverse using the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, understood as imagination practices that guide the design and adoption of technologies perceived as appropriate. This approach starts from the concept of sociotechnical imaginary proposed by Sheila Jasanoff and Sang-Hyun Kim, integrating it with interdisciplinary contributions from sociology, media studies and philosophy of technology. The metaverse is considered here not only as an emerging technology, but also as a cultural symbol, comprising expectations, fears and hopes for the future, attributable to social representations of digital transformation. The object of study is defined by recognising both the traits of digital life (devices, infrastructures, services, dynamics) within the hyperconnected society and the technical-functional characteristics. An object of research is framed as a widespread but justified objective reality that affects the agenda of states. The metaverse seems to follow the trajectory of current society towards a pervasive virtualization, understood in the sense of Pierre Lévy (Lizzi, 2012), which on the one hand reflects socio-cultural transformations and on the other actively contributes to their metamorphosis, opening new paths of socialization, interaction and symbolic negotiation. Introduced in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) by Jasanoff and Kim in Containing the Atom: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Nuclear Power in the United States and South Korea (2009) and fully defined in Dreamscapes of Modernity: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and the Fabrication of Power (2015), the sociotechnical imaginaries are “collectively held, institutionally stabilized, and publicly performed visions of desirable futures, animated by shared understandings of forms of social life and social order attainable through, and supportive of, advances in science and technology” (Jasanoff, 2015). The authors highlight political and cultural application in various contexts (colonialism, global security, nanotechnology), as well as political value as a tool to shape public and future collective goals. The political value of the idea of sociotechnical imaginary is evident, but it does not make it exempt from power dynamics that are also materialized through visual and artistic representations, for three orders of reasons. Firstly, because the imaginary allows to think a technology before it is actually feasible (Flichy, 1995), and then scientific speculation (science fiction, precisely) can be a very good tool for understanding the social and cultural consequences of a particular technology. Secondly, because the science fiction imaginary - books, films, comics, video games - is the cultural humus in which the technological communities are formed, that are then called to develop technologies: computer scientists, engineers, Entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. Thirdly, the imaginary is also a tool to make technologies accepted and acceptable within the social organization, especially when they are presented as innovations that could undo both the economic and the political and cultural dimensions (Bijker, 1995). The salient elements of the sociotechnical imaginaries are: the desirability of the future that is imagined, the fact that this vision is shared by some form of collectivity, a certain level of institutionalisation and direct reference to the use of a technological solution for a given problem. From a STS perspective, it is essential to achieve the objectives of understanding set, the analysis of media narratives, as they can model, reproduce, counteract what may be feasible (knowledge) and desirable (imaginary), as well as what is considered appropriate or inappropriate (norms, values and beliefs) for social and individual welfare. The metaverse is a cyberimmersive, persistent, transcendent, high-performance, shared and integrated space with numerous types of detection devices, pervasive computer systems and wireless communication networks that can perceive, think, feel and interact with manuser and its virtual representations in the form of avatar with multiple identities. The metaverse underpins a 3D always-on-space grid of realistic virtual spaces to which people can connect to socialize, learn, work, trade, play and much more thanks to the convergence of big data based technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and immersive technologies. The result is a set of digital worlds, an evolved Internet successor to the mobile Internet, which interweaves media, culture and commerce in a new and more immersive way, from global horizons. The metaverse, originated from digital culture, is evolving into an environment with practical applications in sectors such as education and health, influencing user’s cognitive and affective perspectives. Its architecture integrates advanced technologies such as blockchain (decentralized economy), 5G/6G networks (low latency), artificial intelligence (refined environments and digital twins) and the Internet of Things (IoT), for connection with physical objects. The definition of metaverse that converges in literature is: “the layer between you and reality, a virtual, shared, 3D world where all activities can be carried out with the help of augmented and virtual reality services” (Damar, 2021). The devices needed for mass use of the metaverse are VR visors, haptic gloves, Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) (Dwivedi Y.K et al., 2022). The metaverse is based on four cornerstones, Spatial Computing, Reality -Virtuality Continuum, a social/participatory dimension and a purpose. Spatial Computing represents a fundamental evolution in human-machine interaction, extending the capabilities of cyborg to allow integrating three-dimensional digital experiences with physical reality. Reality-Virtuality Continuum represents the fusion of the physical and virtual worlds: the former is converted into pixels; the second, on the other hand, takes concrete forms in the world in flesh and blood. However, these components need a deeper reason to be in order to attract users: this is where the purpose becomes crucial . In fact, technology never develops in isolation from culture: every innovation is born and grows within a culture that models it and uses it (Williams, 1963). Technological evolution is not a linear process, but rather a remediation phenomenon (Bolter and Grusin, 1999): each new medium compares and integrates with existing ones, creating a sort of hybrid where the experiences and languages of the former media influence the new ones, “the content of one medium is always another medium” as McLuhan (1967) observed. The metaverse, from the point of view of communication, is the result of the contamination between television, video games and social media, representing the most complex among these hybrids, since it dissolves the boundaries between support, content, history, experience and interface. 2. Research objectives and questions The aim of this thesis is to characterize the metaverse as a sociotechnical imaginary, as a collective shared vision of a possible future, declined in terms of a deeper virtualization of human life and representative of a further stage of the digital transformation. The thesis reconstructs the debate on digital innovation during the pandemic emergency. It is illustrated how on the surface of mainstream discourse has emerged the concept of new normality, a human condition both physical and virtual, which, making strong use of new technologies in the digital field, wants to overcome the limits that emerged during the pandemic, to escape unscathed from the periodic, predictable appearance of the disruptions intrinsically linked to the nature of global community in which humanity finds itself in the postmodern. We investigate the contribution of science fiction in the past and present construction of sociotechnical imaginaries of the metaverse. Objectives of research Conceptual analysis: to explore and define the metaverse as a sociotechnical imaginary, paying particular attention to its symbolic and narrative construction. Socio-cultural impact: tracing the path from speculative fiction to sociotechnical visions of the metaverse. Investigate how immersive technologies associated with the metaverse influence social, identity and cultural dynamics. Critical assessment: analyze the benefits and risks of adopting and evolving the metaverse. Develop a conceptual model on the discursive premises of the metaverse. Propose a framework of re-meaning for the basis of an alternative imaginary. Research questions To find the key narratives that define the sociotechnical imaginaries of the metaverse. How science fiction plays influence the perception of the metaverse. How the metaverse redefines the boundaries between real and virtual in social practices. How hegemonic narratives affect expectations towards the metaverse. To define the concept of time in the sociotechnical imaginations related to the metaverse. Which visions are prevalent among the utopian and dystopian. The thesis presents a pyramidal articulation which, starting from theoretical and macrosocial considerations on the metaverse phenomenon, highlights its characteristics, its declinations and its history. In particular, the first chapter discusses the concept of sociotechnical imaginary. In the second chapter we deal with the metaverse from a technical-functional perspective, also in its relation to AI. In the third chapter, we reconstruct an interpretative map of the role of the metaverse in society, starting from a transversal analysis of narratives in the current context. An overview of the hegemonic discourse is made, to identify the predominant view on the metaverse, its location in the digital transformation and its close connection with AI, analyzing the conferment of a function of solution to the crises envisaged in the new forms of inhabiting the world conveyed in the ideas of new normality, green transition and smart cities. The fourth chapter explores the imaginative level, focusing on film production and analysing three TV series. In the final part of the doctoral thesis, a conceptual model is presented on the discursive premises of the metaverse through the identification of seven myths and finally a re-meaning framework for the bases of an alternative sociotechnical imaginary is proposed. 3. Limitations of existing literature The idea of sociotechnical imaginary, draws at least partially from other important theoretical contributions, such as: the imagined communities of Anderson (1991), with whom it initially shares the focus nation specific, then surpassed in Dreamscapes of Modernity; the social imaginaries of Castoriadis (1975), whose social theory places imagination at the centre of company formation; the cultural dimensions of globalization by Appadurai (1996), which emphasizes the existence of several cultural flows operating simultaneously in a globalized world; Taylor’s (2004) critical approach to modern western social imaginaries; and finally the techno-scientific imaginaries of Marcus (1995), which openly addresses the relationship between science and power. Moreover, as McNeil et al. (2016) point out, throughout the 20th century the idea of imaginary appeared in different forms within multiple disciplines, such as Western philosophy, psychoanalysis and social and political theory. The most used definition is that provided in Dreamscapes of Modernity, which differs from the original one by the same authors, because it removes the emphasis from a purely national perspective by opening the field to the identification and study of imaginaries related to different territorial contexts, for example regional or supranational. Sismondo notes that sociotechnical imaginaries can also be seen as “infrastructures for imagining and planning the future. But [...] are also typically contested, changeable, flexible and loose on the margins” (Sismondo, 2020). It is possible to trace the links between imaginations and very pragmatic ways of realising them, for example through technological design processes, funding opportunities, project resources, policy making, market regulation, user involvement. One key strength of this approach is that it sheds light on the familiar and everyday aspects of our lives, on elements which are taken for granted in classical analyses in the field of Cultural Studies, such as the ideologies that guide us or the prejudices whose existence is not even recognized. In The Ethics of Invention (2016) Jasanoff overcomes the common assumption that technology is an apolitical and amoral force. It shows that technology can distort the meaning of democracy and citizenship unless we consider carefully how to direct its power rather than let it shape us. In The Ethics of inventions looks to a future where companies work together - in open and democratic dialogue - to discuss both the dangers and the promise of technology. To identify the political and public operations involved in the institutional and performative stabilisation of sociotechnical imaginaries, a series of researches has effectively used technoepistemic networks (Rommetveit, Van Dijk and Gunnardóttir, 2020). Derived from the epistemic communities (Haas, 1992), these networks represent multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary groups, whose function is to link heterogeneous actors and their knowledge in order to confer epistemic and cognitive legitimacy on techno-scientific innovations of social relevance. Desires and dreams are the focus of the theoretical system of Jasanoff. Using the sociotechnical term, Jasanoff emphasizes both STS’s traditional focus on the important role played by techno-science in collective life and “the aspirational and normative dimensions of social order” (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015). With its reference to aspiration and regulation in relation to visions of a desirable future, Jasanoff’s work takes a utopian turn. As Levitas acknowledges, the popular understanding of utopia is often like an unworkable fantasy or unfulfilled dream worse, the road to totalitarianism (Levitas, 2011). He defines utopia as “the expression of a desire for a better way to live and be” (Levitas, 2013). The utopianism implicit in Jasanoff’s account of what she understands from sociotechnical imaginaries is noteworthy for several reasons. Firstly, because scholars have argued that utopia as a cultural form is in decline (Kumar, 2003). This decline is not limited to the cultural imagination alone, but is also evident in the writings of many social thinkers, scientists and engineers as well, who imagine and predict imminent futures of disaster, collapse, and decline (Urry, 2016). For Berardi the concept of future, as it was understood in the twentieth century on the basis of the notion of progress towards improvement, enrichment, even perfection, is finished (Berardi, 2011). He argues that in the western cultural imagination, dystopia has replaced utopia in representations of possible futures. The work of Jasanoff and others on sociotechnical imaginaries seems to suggest otherwise: although images of decline and collapse are indeed prevalent, for many actors the techno-science is the means to work towards the realization of desirable futures. Finally, in Dreamscapes of Modernity, Jasanoff invites us to include global perspectives and to investigate how non-Western cultures imagine their technological future. Moving on to the most recent research that investigate the metaverse from the point of view of the sociotechnical imaginary, among the most relevant we find the work of Horppu and Närvänen (2024) which investigates the sociotechnical imaginaries of the metaverse through a media analysis of textual data, to outline the influence on public understanding. Hunt (2024), instead, analyzing historical data related to the evolution of federated networks and interviewing experts, focuses on metaverse functional network architecture: interoperability, standardization, usability and scalability. Hassan (2020) examines the role of sociotechnical imaginaries of digital platforms, an aspect of considerable interest in the perspective of a metaverse in which several virtual ecosystems converge. However, the study does not take this angle into account. Another important study is that of Bibri (2022) which compares the emergence of the metaverse with the sociotechnical imaginaries of smart cities based on datafication, proposing a sociotechnical roadmap focused on future urban development. The author mentions the role of science fiction in the conception of the metaverse but does not examine sci- fi production. Although the contribution of science fiction production in laying the creative foundations for the birth of the metaverse has been mentioned in literature, this aspect has not been sufficiently explored within the sociotechnical imaginary. In fact, social functions and impacts, design modalities were analyzed, focusing exclusively on the analysis of speech. However, the two aspects are not being considered together. Specularly, the research on traditional and contemporary imaginary that deal with the metaverse do not combine their reflections with the analysis of sources typical of sociotechnical imaginary such as speeches, government documents, political reports, public consultations, recommendations by state or private entities. This thesis addresses the limitations of the review by proposing a more complete framework for the analysis of the metaverse, through the examination of different cultural contexts, the combination of research from different fields, the contribution of studies that are not specifically framed in the wave of sociotechnical imagination but that address more generally the imaginary of digital and immersive technologies, the juxtaposition of a wider typology of sources on a broader set of social sectors, a greater balance between utopian and dystopian perspectives. 4. Methodology Since the release of Jasanoff’s work on the science-state relationship in Western Europe, many STS projects have used the assessment of specific historical or contemporary cases as a means to test and develop more general analytical claims (Bakale, 2008). The analysis of sociotechnical imaginaries requires an interpretative and comparative approach, focusing on the languages of power and the study of the materiality of the practices in which they are constituted and transformed (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015). The concept of re-reading can be useful, as the action of policy readback is not only focused on policy texts but takes a broader perspective that includes reading instruments, procedures and strategies (Simons and Olssen, 2009). The Sociotechnical Imaginaries Project at the Harvard Kennedy School directed by Jasanoff places this construction between structure and agency, as it combines some of the subjective and psychological dimensions of agency with the relative rigidity of technological systems, policy styles, organizational behaviors and political culture. The project defines indicators on how to use the most frequently used qualitative methods in STS. Among the indicators of greatest interest for this thesis work are those defined as Images and representations, Utopias and Dystopias. Images and representation: forms of visual representation and other non-verbal forms can provide significant evidence of structured imaginary. Science fiction film may be a more important form than verbal as the primary source of understanding the imagination of non-state actors such as societies, non-governmental organizations and popular movements, many of which do not produce official documents, documents, or stories. Utopias and dystopias: in technologically advanced societies, the imagination of an alternative future, good or bad, has never been entirely controlled by the actions and speeches of official state actors and their opponents. Indeed, authors, screenwriters and film-makers have long imagined utopian and dystopian trajectories for societies that have mastered nature but also become dependent on science and technology. Sometimes artistic visions have proved powerful enough to become widely shared cultural imaginaries, as in the case of Frankenstein (1818) of Mary Shelley, who has become emblematic of out-of-control technology and continues to inspire new terms for new fears like Frankenfoods. Similarly, films such as Godzilla (1954) have helped to define the post-war imaginaries of nuclear and biological catastrophe. Tracing the links between artistic imaginations and other forms of social life offers further insights into sociotechnical imaginaries. For Jasanoff science fiction serves as “a repository of sociotechnical imaginaries” (Jasanoff, 2015) and STS already have a rich history of studies on this aspect of science fiction, although not always framed in terms of sociotechnical imaginaries. For example, the researchers examined how the film Gattaca (1997) influenced US policy on genetic editing (Kirby, 2000), while the recent MIT project Press Innovation+Equality has as its subtitle How to create a future more Star Trek than Terminator. Science fiction can finally have a long-term predictive function since the imaginary and fictional representations on the one hand transmit warning signals, on the other hand embody and symbolize different futures (Miles, 1993). These symbolic representations may provide alternative visions of how the future can be understood and framed (Miles, 1990). Furthermore, techno-utopian visions can be extremely captivating and inspiring when technologies of creative destruction or disruptive innovation are released into society (Bibri, 2015). This thesis work considers three case studies on several scientific TV series dealing with the subject matter under study. The function of TV series is considered essential by Costa (2018) to grasp the effervescences in social change. The author suggests, in the same way as Jasanoff, the adoption of a qualitative strategy of research and analysis. We investigate the ways in which these works spread certain imaginary about the object of study and consequently crystallize behaviors and practices, necessary to live in the technological modernity of virtualization. 5. Results There is a tendency in the public debate to promote the consolidation of the metaverse as a relevant technical and scientific field. The metaverse is seen as a central element in digital transformation, fueled by the narratives of the digital elites and their techno-philosophers kings (Bovalino, 2018) – e.g. Zuckerberg and Musk- and supported by companies, media and institutions. These actors share a technological optimism, conveying a sociotechnical imaginary that modifies social perception and reality. The pandemic has redefined normality by introducing concepts such as smart working, distancing and green pass, accelerating the adoption of digital technologies. During the Viral Apocalypse (Bovalino, 2020) the media acted as a maternal figure on citizens, playing a crucial role in shaping the collective imagination of the new normal, emphasizing the idea that global emergencies require transformative technological solutions. The digital transformation is presented as a heterogeneous set of policies and practices involving global actors, including Big Tech. This process is often driven by economic and political interests, with a growing data colonialism (Couldry and Mejias, 2019) in which digital interactions become an economic resource. AI is considered crucial for the development of the metaverse, enhancing design capacity but also fueling fears of unemployment and loss of human control. Narratives on AI oscillate between utopias (increase in human capacity) and dystopias (submission to algorithms). In Italy, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) allocates significant resources to digitalization, planning a future based on a deeper virtualization. However, the paper highlights that such investments face barriers such as lack of digital literacy and disparities in technology adoption. 4.0 Technologies, including AI and IoT, are considered central to industrial competitiveness and social progress (Schwab, 2016). During the World Economic Forum 2023, the metaverse was identified among the innovations that will contribute to the realization of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The metaverse is also considered as a functional platform for smart cities (Zefeng et al., 2024), promising improvements in urban planning, sustainability and emergency management through the use of digital twin and advanced simulations. Big Tech like Google, Amazon and Meta dominate the economic scene through data control, consolidating surveillance capitalism (Zuboff, 2015). The pandemic has further strengthened their power, making critical their own infrastructure. Concepts such as the Green New Deal and smart cities highlight a push towards a sustainable technological future. Zuckerberg’s vision for the metaverse aims to integrate physical and virtual reality, with potential applications in health, education and industry, but concerns arise about centralization in data management and psychological and social impacts. Gamification, “the application of playful models in non-playful contexts” (Barile and Bovalino, 2020), is becoming central in areas such as education, fitness and marketing, and plays a key role in the development of the metaverse. Predictive elements on the technology subject of this work are found in novels, films and television shows, video games, the content conceptually closer, even in terms of user experience, to the metaverse as a medium. The term metaverse was introduced by Neal Stephenson in the novel Snow Crash (1992), to outline a virtual three-dimensional world with avatars representations of users. This concept is deeply rooted in science fiction and inspired by works such as Gibson’s Neuromante (1984) and Disney’s Tron (1982). Films such as Matrix (1999) and Ready Player One (2018) further defined the metaverse’s imaginary, emphasizing its philosophical, social and technological implications, including virtual reality, the fusion of physical and digital, and the empowerment of human experiences. The literary imaginary of the metaverse oscillates between utopian visions, in which technology improves life, and dystopian scenarios, which highlight the risk of alienation and corporate control. Environments such as OASIS in Ready Player One show how the metaverse can serve as a refuge from reality, offering personalized and thematic spaces. The Black Mirror series (2011 - in production) shows the risks of technology abuse, loss of personal control and digital identity manipulation. The three cases here examined concern the episode Joan is Awful (2023) of Black Mirror, the series The Peripheral (2022) based on the novel of the same name by William Gibson and the series Brave New World (2020), inspired by Huxley’s novel. In general, the series above describe the future of a humanity immersed in the virtual, predicting life in the metaverse. The thesis analyzes Black Mirror episode Joan is Awful through the thought of Gilles Deleuze (1985), using in particular the concept of crystal- image, to deepen the themes of temporality and virtuality. Deleuze conceives time as a coexistence of the present and past intertwined, idea that is tracked in the episode: the platform Streamberry uses artificial intelligence to record and recreate the actions of Joan, generating a virtual past that deforms and reinterprets the present. The crystal-image, which combines current and virtual, manifests itself in Joan’s digital versions, distorted by algorithms to maximize profit and entertainment, emphasizing negative aspects. The spectator Joan who becomes an actress in spite of herself, takes “the progressive inclusion of the common individual in the media representations that have decreed the sunset of the society of the spectacle of Debord and the advent of a system hyperspectacular, in which every spectator is potentially actor” (Baudrillard 1995 cit. in Barile, 2022). Repetition is never identical (Deleuze, 1966): each iteration introduces differences that transform the original, as happens in the digital twin of Joan, which generates new virtual realities, altering both the perception of self and others. The Streamberry metaverse, described as a time matryoshka, with multiplies and stratifies virtual realities, dissolving the boundary between real and virtual. This virtual, according to Deleuze, is an autonomous parallel reality that profoundly affects Joan’s real life, compromising her relationships, work and social perception. There is also a critique of technological solutionism, pointing out that technologies amplify problems rather than solve them. The themes of free will, hyperconnection, loss of authenticity and digital surveillance are addressed, comparing the unconscious acceptance of terms of use to a faustian pact. Finally, the reduction of the use of technology as an antidote to the digital frenzy, in opposition to the predominance of profit. The Peripheral addresses the duality between physical and virtual reality, developing on two time lines and two different realities: the present (physical) and an alternative future (virtual). Through a technology called peripheral, users can transfer their consciousness into synthetic bodies that interact in the future: this function shows how the metaverse can expand the concept of human presence beyond the temporal and geographical limits. The series presents the future as a reality that can be influenced and shaped by the present, through a two-way relationship that recalls Deleuze’s theories on temporality already discussed in relation to the metaverse. The series addresses the theme of identity fragmentation: the possibility of living simultaneously in different realities raises profound questions about what it means to be oneself in a digital context. In addition, the ethical conflict related to virtual body control is explored, suggesting a parallel with the current debate on data ownership and digital sovereignty. The series goes further, presenting a world where reality is gamified: virtual missions and challenges become an integral part of survival and human experience. This recalls the imaginary of Ready Player One but contextualizes it in a darker and more realistic narrative. The Peripherals not only anticipate applications of the metaverse but serve as a mirror for collective anxieties about its development. The series raises questions about corporate control of advanced technologies, the ethical implications of transferring human consciousness to virtual spaces, and the risk of complete alienation from the real world and authentic relationships. The Peripheral highlights how control of technology and digital realities is often in the hands of a privileged few. The protagonist reflects the cyberpunk imprint of Gibson, which, according to Barile (2015), expresses a spirit of rebellion and individual research. The elements of the sociotechnical imaginaries described above are also present in the series Brave New World (2020). Every citizen is constantly monitored and supervised by advanced technological devices that record behaviors and emotions, aspect not present in the original novel, but which represents a direct criticism of digital surveillance and loss of privacy. While the novel saw happiness as a social obligation imposed through soma, the series assigns this role to immersive technology, which becomes an instrument of distortion of human emotions and experiences. An AI platform controls and manages every nodule of the New London society, in which individuals benefit from immersive technologies to be free from the chains of disease, prejudice and secrecy and thus live in a stable world, safe and overprotective. The digital system keeps every citizen under surveillance, monitoring emotions, behaviors and relationships between individuals to maintain order and social stability. Perpetual connectivity, the increase and extension of reality, ubiquitous surveillance are depictions that the series effectively highlights: individuals wear perpetually an eyepiece module that uniquely connects them to the AI, projects their holograms of other users, real or created by the IA itself; the device allows you to see everyone’s daily activities, live with comments or recorded, as if they were Instagram reels or stories of Tik Tok. The eyepiece module also acts as a digital pass to move around sectors of the city. This adaptation highlights how relevant Huxley’s dystopian views are still, updating them to reflect the changes of our time through the inclusion of new elements related to digital surveillance and the need for real authenticity in all virtualized, underlining how the human desire for freedom and individuality is constantly tested by technology. There is thus a contrast between the deterministic and often overly utopian vision of the actors involved in the development of the metaverse and the representations of the risks of marginalization, social exclusion, erosion of privacy, lack of supervision and democratic control, which are depicted in the film production analysed. From the above the metaverse: combines speculative representations of science fiction with technological and futuristic visions of public discourse; is proposed both as a successor to the Internet and as an ecosystem of interconnected, immersive systems; represents a reimagining of everyday life, characterised by digital connectivity, platformization and datafication; is influenced by technological determinism, reductionist views of digital life and economic priorities that often overshadow ethical and cultural considerations; is driven by the convergence of advanced technologies (e.g., XR, IA, Blockchain) and significant financial investments by large technology companies; reflects economic motivations, such as the creation of new markets and business models, rather than responding to social needs or ethical concerns; has the performative power to mobilize resources, shape public perceptions and influence policy decisions. From the analysis of film and literary production it emerges that science fiction has taken on a major role in the creation, development and dissemination of metaverse. Science fiction, through novels, films and television series, has anticipated future scenarios and outlined both utopian and dystopian visions. In this work the complex narrative and technological construction of the metaverse is framed in an interpretative framework through the identification of seven myths. Myth of virtual/online fusion - physical/life(onlife) through immersiveness Celebrates the integration between real and virtual, breaking down the distinction between online and offline, as described by Floridi (2015). Technologies such as Extended Reality (XR), including AR, VR and MR, make the user experience more immersive, fostering a continuity between physical and digital experiences. Myth of sustainability Promises reductions in environmental impact through virtual solutions (e.g. remote work, digital urban planning). The metaverse is an ally in the fight against climate change, through projects such as hVerse and initiatives supported by the World Economic Forum for the protection of the Amazon. The myth of competitiveness Immersive technologies increase global GDP and create new business opportunities, with significant impacts in the retail, gaming and entertainment sectors. Virtual worlds such as Decentraland offer spaces for commerce, entertainment and social interactions. The myth of convergence It is a unique system where different platforms merge into an integrated ecosystem. According to Castells (1996), through the digital, convergence takes place in a reticular mode. This media and social fusion, analysed by Jenkins (2006), reflects the integration between multimedia content, collective participation and collective intelligence. The metaverse, in Zuckerberg’s vision, embodies this union, following Stephenson’s cyberpunk narratives. Myth of the end of computer science history Bojic (2022) analyzing the video ad “The Metaverse and how we’ll build it together,” by Mark Zuckerberg, highlights how the CEO of Meta presents the metaverse as the ultimate evolution of the Internet, as a final computing platform, perpetuating the myth of linear and inevitable progress. Myth of cyborg heroism Explore the hybrid human-machine identity, exalting resilience and human adaptation through symbolic figures such as Neo in Matrix and Hiro Protagonist in Snow Crash. Cyborg becomes a symbol of the human ability to adapt to advanced technologies, challenging traditional dichotomies. Barile (2021) highlights how the cyber-hero hacker, initially represented as a symbol of freedom and technological innovation, is becoming a threat to security and privacy. Myth of technological adequacy Technology is represented as an automatic solution to social and environmental problems, often promoted with optimistic and abstract narratives. Such a representation for the metaverse may, according to Horppu and Närvänen (2024) influence the privacy of users and the surveillance that the virtual system can exercise on them. 6. Contributions to existing literature This thesis, compared to the existing literature, addresses the phenomenon with an interdisciplinary approach that expands and integrates previously fragmented perspectives. Firstly, the technical discourse is integrated with the social one, combining a mediological and sociotechnical approach. The study aims to include a culture of communication understood as a set of knowledge, symbols, languages and codes capable of influencing mentalities, interpretations and behaviors, both at individual and collective levels. One contribution lies in the extension of the look beyond the classic western border, including perspectives and narratives from different cultural contexts. The thesis organically defines the transformative context in which the metaverse is placed, putting it in relation to artificial intelligence and emphasizing fundamental concepts such as the new temporality and the real/virtual dichotomy. These concepts are detailed within the narratives analyzed, evaluating, beyond the simple utopian promises, especially the dystopian dimensions, often overlooked in the hegemonic discourse. In this way, the work lays the foundations for an alternative imaginary, also exploring ways of promoting and sharing the metaverse through the crucial role of communication and science fiction production. Critical analysis highlights how technological imaginary transmits cultural values and representations that are often idealized, creating self-explanatory promises that escape the possibility of being questioned. To achieve this, the concept of myth is introduced into metaverse analysis. It is used to characterize the narrative and symbolic elements of this virtual universe. The adoption of a mythical perspective does not intend to disprove the significance or relevance of the metaverse, but it highlights the functioning of sociotechnical imaginaries, especially when they contain idealistic views on technology, as in this case. The mythical character of the metaverse was used to reflect on its ability to transmit cultural values and promises automatically, opening spaces for conflicting readings and criticism that draw on disciplines and agents rarely involved in the dominant discourse regime. Finally, the set of myths analysed has been systematized in a coherent way, organizing the different levels of critical argumentation that have emerged on the metaverse since it took a leading position. This work provides an integrated structure combining contributions from previously unorganized authors and disciplines, thus giving literature a more defined picture of the theoretical, social and cultural issues raised by the metaverse. 7. Conclusions The proven positioning in the home space of most human activities through platforms such as smart working, social networks, e-commerce, online food ordering, distance education, virtual reality fitness, the unique system of access with digital identity to online services, can represent the humus for the advent of a virtual ecosystem, powered by emerging technologies such as 5G and immersive devices, able to connect the physical and digital world. The metaverse follows the path of digitalization, in a coevolutionary trajectory of human beings and machines, marked by periodic technological achievements and by the confidence we have placed in AI (Nowotny, 2021). The prevailing imagination on virtual worlds is based on the coveted “forms of life and social order” (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015), which the metaverse’s techno-scientific project can achieve. This sociotechnical imaginary reflects the wishes and hopes of several generations of techno-scientific elites and other decision makers. On the one hand, the metaverse is seen as a tool for solving global problems and improving education, health and work; on the other hand, it raises concerns about corporate control, privacy, social polarization and alienation. The metaverse, as the evolution of the Internet, will have a decisive impact on individuals and societies. In the current phase, this virtual world remains close to the dystopian reality described by Stephenson, dominated by an anarchic meta-capitalism, where power is largely managed by multinationals, with a supporting role of state institutions. Today, the role of the patriarchs of digital capitalism in shaping and dominating these new virtual worlds is strong, to which other institutional actors are trying to make a counterweight. In Snow Crash, the dimension of digital twin of each individual becomes utopian in contrast to a dystopian reality characterized by a lacerated social tissue, an absent State and uncontrolled private powers. In Ready Player One, a virtual world with utopian connotations is outlined, where people try to escape from the difficulties of the degradation of the real world. The metaverse has strong economic potential, with significant growth estimates by 2030. However, crucial questions remain on governance (centralised or decentralised), personal data protection and psychological and social impact. Narratives of the future produce sociotechnical imaginaries in which they are developed. In this context, the State can play a fundamental role: it possesses material and symbolic means to outline the future trajectories of our society, to build institutions that indicate the risks and potentialities inherent in them, require the commitment of the various social actors. An anthropocentric metaverse, as suggested by the direction taken by Europe, could offer a horizon of meaning, a heterotropic in which to explore new possibilities. It is therefore essential to develop community-based projects that promote long term political visions to ensure that the worlds of the metaverse can have a positive impact on democratic life and limit potential threats to democracy. 8. Limits and future research trajectories Global and Local Relationship One first limit that emerged was the difficulty of balancing the global dimension with the local. Although a global approach was inevitable, given the transnational scope of entertainment platforms and metaverse phenomena, the work did not fully explore specific cases involving local communities, e.g., Italy. Include concrete cases such as the use of the metaverse in the Hospital of Cagliari and museums, or the Eduverso in school, could offer a more articulated perspective. Such integration would allow a better analysis of how the territorial realities adapt and respond to the global dynamics of the metaverse, merging in a more organic way these two scales of analysis. Cyborg and infrastructure Other future research trajectories may concern the STS concepts of cyborg and of infrastructure. The cyborg conceptualized by Haraway (1991) sees human beings as part of a network of technological and social relations rather than as autonomous entities. In metaverse studies, the concept of cyborg is justified by the technologies that extend the human body’s capabilities, such as AR, VR or brain-computer interfaces. For example, avatar in the metaverse can be seen as cyborg extensions of our identity, since they merge the physical and the digital into new forms of representation. Infrastructure is not confined to a purely technical meaning (roads, electricity networks, computer systems, etc.), but is analyzed as a sociotechnical concept, that is, as a complex network linking people, practices, technologies and institutions. Geoffrey Bowker and Susan Leigh Star, two key STS researchers, describe the infrastructure as “invisible until it fails”. This means that infrastructures tend to go unnoticed, but are essential for the functioning of any social or technological system. For example, in the metaverse, infrastructures include technological platforms, network protocols, artificial intelligence algorithms and blockchain that make virtual worlds possible. Infrastructures are often built to be standardized, so that people and systems can be connected on a large scale. This is particularly relevant for the metaverse, where interoperability between platforms is considered a crucial challenge. In STS, standardisation is seen not only as a technical process but also as a political and social action which determines who can access certain resources and who is excluded from them. The STS point out that infrastructures are not neutral, but are shaped by political, economic and cultural decisions. Those who control an infrastructure (such as a metaverse platform) have the power to influence behaviour, access and participation. Humans in the metaverse, through integrated technologies and avatar, can be considered as active elements of a sociotechnical infrastructure. For example, user generated data (from biometric data to interactions and avatar movements) becomes an essential component of the metaverse infrastructure. When looking at the metaverse as a global infrastructure linking users, devices and technologies, it is necessary to ask who controls it, who benefits from it and who might be excluded. The fusion between human and technology in the metaverse prompts to reconsider the concept of identity, asking questions about authenticity, representation and agency in the virtual environment, topics that may include further lines of research within the framework of cyborg and infrastructure, as described below. Representation and identity As pointed out by Codeluppi (2018), the digital world evolves rapidly, creating integral simulacra, that is, virtual copies that possess their own authenticity independent of the physical world. These simulacra are no longer mere representations of reality, but exist independently, without the need for direct correspondence with the material world. In this new dimension, value is generated exclusively within the virtual world, leading us towards a future increasingly separated from traditional reality. In the metaverse, users can represent themselves in ways that challenge the social and physical constraints of real life. At the same time, virtual experiences can be designed to be highly immersive and convince users of their authenticity. This raises questions about who controls these narratives and what interests are behind them. The analysis of these aspects requires a critical approach that considers both opportunities for self-expression and risks associated with manipulation. Redefining the reality In the metaverse, what is real is increasingly determined by subjective experience: we can investigate the validity of digital experiences compared to physical ones. For example, can a virtual social interaction be considered less authentic than a physical one? Secondly, on the performativity of reality: in the metaverse, “data creates reality”. This implies that digital realities do not merely represent the physical world, but actively build it through digital interactions and narratives. Truth and manipulation Traditionally based on the correspondence between statements and facts, truth in the metaverse is complicated by the possibility of constructing and manipulating digital realities. One could then investigate the challenge to traditional truth: in the metaverse, what is perceived as true may depend on the internal coherence of a virtual narrative rather than on correspondence with the physical world. This could lead to the creation of parallel truths. The concept of truth could then be treated as coherence: the metaverse could promote an approach based on logical coherence between elements within the virtual system, making the concept of truth more fluid and contextual. Transhumanism and digital immortality The idea of the pouring of consciousness into an avatar that can continue to live after death raises ethical and existential questions. What happens to our influences in the metaverse after our death? Avatars, once created, could continue to exist as autonomous entities, redefining the concept of personal identity and digital heritage.
1. Introduzione Il presente lavoro descrive alcuni dei modi in cui il metaverso e le tecnologie immersive sono intrecciati con concezioni del mondo, ideali politici e sociali, e con l’idea di ciò che la nostra società considera desiderabile o possibile. La tesi analizza le visioni passate, presenti e future del metaverso utilizzando il concetto di immaginari sociotecnici, intesi come pratiche di immaginazione che guidano la progettazione e l’adozione di tecnologie percepite come appropriate. Questo approccio parte dal concetto di immaginario sociotecnico proposto da Sheila Jasanoff e Sang-Hyun Kim, integrandolo con contributi interdisciplinari provenienti dalla sociologia, dagli studi sui media e dalla filosofia della tecnologia. Il metaverso viene qui considerato non solo come una tecnologia emergente, ma anche come un simbolo culturale, comprendente aspettative, timori e speranze per il futuro, riconducibile alle rappresentazioni sociali della digital transformation. L’oggetto di studio è definito a partire dal riconoscimento sia dei tratti della vita digitale (dispositivi, infrastrutture, servizi, dinamiche) all’ interno della società iperconnessa, sia delle caratteristiche tecnico-funzionali. Viene inquadrato un oggetto di ricerca diffuso ma giustificato come realtà oggettiva che influisce sull’agenda degli stati. Il metaverso sembra seguire la traiettoria della società attuale verso una pervasiva virtualizzazione, intesa nell’accezione di Pierre Lévy (Lizzi, 2012), della quale da un lato riflette le trasformazioni socioculturali e dall’altro contribuisce attivamente alla loro metamorfosi, inaugurando nuovi percorsi di socializzazione, di interazione e di negoziazione simbolica. Introdotti in ambito Science and Technology Studies (STS) da Jasanoff e Kim in Containing the Atom: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Nuclear Power in the United States and South Korea (2009) e definiti compiutamente in Dreamscapes of Modernity: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and the Fabrication of Power (2015), gli immaginari sociotecnici sono strumenti per “sostenere collettivamente, stabilizzare istituzionalmente visioni pubbliche di futuri desiderabili, animati da comprensioni condivise di forme di vita e ordine sociale e raggiungibili attraverso i progressi della scienza e della tecnologia” (Jasanoff, 2015). Gli autori evidenziano l’applicazione politica e culturale in vari contesti (colonialismo, sicurezza globale, nanotecnologie), oltre che la valenza politica come strumento per modellare scopi pubblici e futuri collettivi. La valenza politica dell’idea di immaginario sociotecnico è evidente, ma non per questo la rende esente da dinamiche di potere che si concretizzano anche tramite le rappresentazioni visuali e artistiche, per tre ordini di motivi. In primo luogo, perché l’immaginario consente di pensare una tecnologia prima ancora che essa sia effettivamente realizzabile (Flichy, 1995), e quindi la speculazione scientifica (science fiction, appunto) può essere un ottimo strumento per comprendere le conseguenze sociali e culturali di una particolare tecnologia. In secondo luogo, perché l’immaginario fantascientifico – libri, film, fumetti, videogiochi – costituisce l’humus culturale all’interno del quale si formano le comunità tecnologiche che poi sono chiamate a sviluppare le tecnologie: informatici, ingegneri, imprenditori ed altri stakeholder. In terzo luogo, l’immaginario è anche uno strumento per rendere le tecnologie accettate e accettabili all’interno dell’organizzazione sociale, soprattutto quando si presentano come innovazioni che potrebbero scardinare sia la dimensione economica che quella politica e culturale (Bijker, 1995). Gli elementi salienti dell’immaginario sociotecnico sono: la desiderabilità del futuro che viene immaginato, il fatto che tale visione sia condivisa da una qualche forma di collettività, un certo livello di istituzionalizzazione e il riferimento diretto al ricorso a una soluzione tecnologica per un dato problema. Da una prospettiva STS, è fondamentale, per raggiungere gli obiettivi di comprensione fissati, l’analisi delle narrazioni mediali, in quanto esse possono modellare, riprodurre, contrastare ciò che può essere praticabile (le conoscenze) e desiderabile (gli immaginari), nonché ciò che viene considerato appropriato o inappropriato (norme, valori e credenze) per il benessere sociale ed individuale. Il metaverso è un cyberspazio immersivo, persistente, trascendente, performante, condiviso ed integrato con numerosi tipi di dispositivi di rilevamento, sistemi informatici pervasivi e reti di comunicazione wireless che possono percepire, pensare, sentire e interagire con l’uomo-utente e le sue rappresentazioni virtuali in forma di avatar con identità multiple. Il metaverso sottende una struttura reticolare 3D alwayson di spazi virtuali realistici alla quale le persone possono connettersi per socializzare, imparare, lavorare, commerciare, giocare e molto altro grazie alla convergenza delle tecnologie basate sui big data, l’Intelligenza Artificiale (IA) e le tecnologie immersive. Il risultato è un insieme di mondi digitali, un Internet evoluto successore di Internet mobile, che intreccia media, cultura, commercio in un modo nuovo e più immersivo, dagli orizzonti globali. Il metaverso, originato dalla cultura digitale, si sta evolvendo in un ambiente con applicazioni pratiche in settori come istruzione e sanità, influenzando le prospettive cognitive e affettive degli utenti. La sua architettura integra tecnologie avanzate come blockchain (economia decentralizzata), reti 5G/6G (bassa latenza), intelligenza artificiale (ambienti raffinati e digital twin) e Internet of Things (IoT), per la connessione con oggetti fisici. La definizione di metaverso che in letteratura trova convergenza è: “lo strato tra te e la realtà, un mondo virtuale, condiviso, 3D in cui tutte le attività possono essere svolte con l’aiuto di servizi di realtà aumentata e virtuale” (Damar, 2021). I device necessari all’utilizzo di massa del metaverso sono i visori VR, i guanti aptici, le tecnologie Augmented Reality (AR) ed Extended Reality (XR) (Dwivedi Y.K et al., 2022). Il metaverso si fonda su quattro cardini, lo Spatial Computing, il Reality-Virtuality Continuum, una dimensione social/partecipativa ed un purpose. Lo Spatial Computing rappresenta un’evoluzione fondamentale nell’interazione uomo-macchina, estendendo le capacità del cyborg e consentendo di integrare esperienze digitali tridimensionali con la realtà fisica. Il Reality-Virtuality Continuum rappresenta la fusione tra il mondo fisico e quello virtuale: il primo, da un lato, viene convertito in pixel; il secondo dall’altro, assume forme concrete nel mondo in carne ed ossa. Tuttavia, queste componenti necessitano di una ragione d’essere più profonda per attrarre gli utenti: è qui che il purpose diventa fondamentale. Infatti la tecnologia non si sviluppa mai isolata dalla cultura: ogni innovazione nasce e cresce all’interno di una cultura che la modella e la utilizza (Williams, 1963). L’evoluzione tecnologica non è un processo lineare, ma piuttosto un fenomeno di rimediazione (Bolter e Grusin, 1999): ogni nuovo medium si confronta e si integra con quelli esistenti, creando una sorta di “ibrido” in cui le esperienze e i linguaggi dei media precedenti influenzano quelli nuovi, “il contenuto di un medium è sempre un altro medium” come osservava McLuhan (1967). Il metaverso, sotto il punto di vista della comunicazione, è risultato della contaminazione tra televisione, videogame e social media, rappresentando il più complesso tra questi ibridi, poiché dissolve i confini tra supporto, contenuto, storia, esperienza e interfaccia. 2. Obiettivi e domande di ricerca Lo scopo del presente lavoro di tesi è caratterizzare il metaverso quale immaginario sociotecnico, ovvero una visione collettivamente condivisa di un futuro possibile, declinato in termini di una maggiore virtualizzazione della vita dell’uomo e rappresentativo di un ulteriore stadio della digital transformation. Si ricostruisce il dibattito sull’innovazione digitale durante il periodo dell’emergenza pandemica. Si illustra come sulla superficie del discorso mainstream sia affiorato il concetto di nuova normalità, una condizione umana sia fisica che virtuale, che, avvalendosi fortemente delle nuove tecnologie in ambito digitale, vuole superare i limiti emersi durante la pandemia, per uscire indenni dalla periodica, prevedibile comparsa delle disruption connesse intrinsecamente alla natura di comunità globale in cui si trova l’umanità nel postmoderno. Si indaga l’apporto della fantascienza nella costruzione passata e attuale di immaginari sociotecnici del metaverso. Obiettivi della ricerca Analisi concettuale: esplorare e definire il metaverso come un immaginario sociotecnico, ponendo particolare attenzione alla sua costruzione simbolica e narrativa. Impatto socioculturale: tracciare il percorso dalla finzione speculativa a visioni sociotecniche del metaverso. Indagare come le tecnologie immersive associate al metaverso influenzino le dinamiche sociali, identitarie e culturali. Valutazione critica: analizzare i benefici e i rischi legati all’adozione e all’evoluzione del metaverso. Sviluppare un modello concettuale sulle premesse discorsive sul metaverso. Proporre un quadro di risignificazione per la base di un immaginario alternativo. Domande di ricerca Quali sono le narrative chiave che definiscono l’immaginario sociotecnico del metaverso. In che modo le rappresentazioni fantascientifiche influenzano la percezione del metaverso. Come il metaverso ridefinisce i confini tra reale e virtuale nelle pratiche sociali. In che modo le narrazioni egemoni influenzano le aspettative verso il metaverso. Qual è la concezione del tempo nelle immaginazioni sociotecniche relative al metaverso. Quali visioni sono prevalenti tra quelle utopiche e distopiche. La tesi presenta un’articolazione piramidale che, a partire da considerazioni teoriche e macrosociali sul fenomeno metaverso, ne evidenzia le caratteristiche, le declinazioni e la storia. In particolare, nel primo capitolo si discute il concetto di immaginario sociotecnico. Nel secondo capitolo si tratta il metaverso da una prospettiva tecnico-funzionale, anche nel suo rapporto con l’IA. Nel terzo capitolo si ricostruisce una mappa interpretativa del ruolo del metaverso nella società, partendo dall’analisi trasversale delle narrazioni nel contesto attuale. Si effettua una panoramica sul discorso egemone, per identificare la visione predominante sul metaverso, la sua collocazione nella digital transformation e la sua stretta connessione con l’IA, analizzandone il conferimento di funzione di soluzione alle crisi prospettate nelle nuove forme di abitare il mondo veicolate nelle idee di nuova normalità, green transition e smart cities. Il quarto capitolo esplora il livello immaginifico, soffermandosi sulla produzione cinematografica e analizzando tre serie Tv. Nella parte finale della tesi di dottorato si presenta un modello concettuale sulle premesse discorsive del metaverso attraverso l’individuazione di sette miti e si propone infine un quadro di risignificazione per le basi di un immaginario sociotecnico alternativo. 3. Limitazioni della letteratura esistente L’idea di immaginario sociotecnico, attinge almeno parzialmente da altri importanti contributi teorici, quali: le comunità immaginate di Anderson (1991), con cui condivide inizialmente il focus nation specific, poi superato da Dreamscapes of Modernity in poi; gli immaginari sociali di Castoriadis (1975), la cui teoria sociale pone l’immaginazione al centro della costituzione delle società; le dimensioni culturali della globalizzazione di Appadurai (1996), in cui si pone l’accento sull’esistenza di vari flussi culturali che operano simultaneamente nel mondo globalizzato; l’approccio critico di Taylor (2004) sugli immaginari sociali occidentali moderni; e infine gli immaginari tecno-scientifici di Marcus (1995), che affronta apertamente il rapporto tra scienza e potere. Del resto, come fanno notare McNeil et al. (2016), per tutto il XX secolo l’idea di immaginario è apparsa sotto forme diverse all’interno di molteplici discipline, come la filosofia occidentale, la psicoanalisi e la teoria sociale e politica. La definizione più utilizzata è quella fornita in Dreamscapes of Modernity, che differisce rispetto a quella originaria sempre degli stessi autori, poiché rimuove l’enfasi da una prospettiva unicamente nazionale aprendo il campo all’identificazione e allo studio di immaginari relativi a contesti territoriali differenti, per esempio regionali o sovranazionali. Sismondo osserva che gli immaginari sociotecnici possono anche essere visti come “infrastrutture per immaginare e pianificare il futuro. Ma [...] sono anche tipicamente contestate, mutevoli, flessibili e allentate ai margini” (Sismondo, 2020). Si possono così tracciare i collegamenti tra immaginazioni e i modi molto pragmatici per realizzarle, ad esempio attraverso processi di progettazione tecnologica, opportunità di finanziamento, risorse per progetti, policy making, regolamentazione del mercato, coinvolgimento degli utenti. Un punto di forza chiave di questo approccio è che fa luce in modo mirato sugli aspetti familiari e quotidiani delle nostre vite, su elementi che vengono dati per scontati nelle analisi classiche nel campo dei Cultural Studies come ad esempio le ideologie che ci guidano o i pregiudizi dei quali non è riconosciuta nemmeno l’esistenza. In The Ethics of Invention (2016) Jasanoff supera il presupposto comune secondo cui la tecnologia è una forza apolitica e amorale. Dimostra che la tecnologia può distorcere il significato della democrazia e della cittadinanza a meno che non consideriamo attentamente come dirigere il suo potere piuttosto che lasciarci plasmare da essa. In The Ethics of inventions prospetta un futuro in cui le società lavorano insieme – in un dialogo aperto e democratico – per discutere sia dei pericoli che delle promesse della tecnologia. Per identificare le operazioni politiche e pubbliche coinvolte nella stabilizzazione istituzionale e performativa degli immaginari sociotecnici, una serie di ricerche ha efficacemente utilizzato le reti tecno-epistemiche (Rommetveit, Van Dijk e Gunnardóttir, 2020). Derivate dalle comunità epistemiche (Haas, 1992), tali reti rappresentano gruppi multidisciplinari, interdisciplinari o transdisciplinari, la cui funzione è quella di collegare attori eterogenei e le loro conoscenze per conferire legittimità epistemica e conoscitiva a innovazioni tecnoscientifiche di rilevanza sociale. Desideri e sogni sono il focus dell’impianto teorico di Jasanoff. Utilizzando il termine sociotecnico, Jasanoff sottolinea sia l’attenzione tradizionale di STS sul ruolo importante svolto dalla tecnoscienza nella vita collettiva e “le dimensioni aspirazionali e normative dell’ordine sociale” (Jasanoff e Kim, 2015). Con il suo riferimento all’ aspirazione e alla normativa in relazione alle visioni di futuro desiderabile, l’opera di Jasanoff prende una svolta utopica. Come riconosce Levitas, la comprensione popolare dell’utopia è spesso come una fantasia impraticabile o sogno incompiuto o peggio, la strada verso il totalitarismo (Levitas, 2011). Egli definisce l’utopia come “espressione di un desiderio per un modo migliore di vivere e di essere” (Levitas, 2013). L’utopismo implicito nel racconto di Jasanoff su ciò che lei comprende dagli immaginari sociotecnici è degno di nota per diverse ragioni. In primo luogo, perché studiosi hanno sostenuto che l’utopia come forma culturale è in declino (Kumar, 2003). Questo declino non è limitato solo all’immaginazione culturale, ma è anche evidente negli scritti di molti pensatori sociali, scienziati e ingegneri pure, che immaginano e prevedono imminenti futuri di disastro, collasso, e declino (Urry, 2016). Per Berardi il concetto di futuro, per come è stato inteso nel XX secolo sulla base della nozione di progresso verso il miglioramento, l’arricchimento, anche la perfezione, è finito (Berardi, 2011). Egli sostiene che nell’immaginazione culturale occidentale, la distopia ha sostituito utopia nelle rappresentazioni di possibili futuri. Il lavoro di Jasanoff e altri sugli immaginari sociotecnici sembra suggerire altrimenti: anche se le immagini di declino e crollo sono in effetti prevalenti, per molti attori la tecnoscienza rimane il mezzo per lavorare verso la realizzazione di futuri desiderabili. Infine in Dreamscapes of Modernity, Jasanoff invita a includere prospettive globali e a indagare come le culture non occidentali immaginino il loro futuro tecnologico. Passando alle ricerche più recenti che indagano il metaverso dal punto di vista dell’immaginario sociotecnico, tra le più rilevanti troviamo il lavoro di Horppu e Närvänen (2024) che indaga gli immaginari sociotecnici del metaverso attraverso un’analisi mediatica di dati testuali, per delineare l’influenza sulla comprensione pubblica. Hunt (2024) invece, analizzando dati storici relativi all’evoluzione delle reti federate ed intervistando esperti, si concentra sulla architettura di rete funzionale metaverso: interoperabilità, standardizzazione, usabilità e scalabilità. Hassan (2020) esamina il ruolo degli immaginari sociotecnici delle piattaforme digitali, un aspetto di notevole interesse in prospettiva di un metaverso nel quale convergano più ecosistemi virtuali. Tuttavia lo studio non prende in considerazione tale angolazione. Un altro importante studio è quello di Bibri (2022) che compara l’emergere del metaverso con gli immaginari sociotecnici delle città intelligenti basate sulla dataficazione, proponendo una roadmap sociotecnica focalizzata sullo sviluppo urbano futuro. L’autore menziona il ruolo della fantascienza nell’ ideazione del metaverso ma non prende in esame la produzione sci-fi recente. Seppure in letteratura sia stato accennato al contributo della produzione fantascientifica nel porre le basi creative alla nascita del metaverso, tale aspetto non è stato sufficientemente approfondito nell’ambito dell’immaginario sociotecnico. Sono infatti stati analizzati funzioni ed impatti sociali, modalità di progettazione, soffermandosi esclusivamente sull’ analisi del discorso. È mancante tuttavia il collocamento a fattor comune dei due aspetti. Specularmente, le ricerche sull’immaginario tradizionale e contemporaneo che si occupano del metaverso non coniugano le loro riflessioni con l’analisi di fonti tipiche dell’immaginario sociotecnico quali discorsi, documenti governativi, rapporti politici, consultazioni pubbliche, raccomandazioni di entità statali o private. Questa tesi affronta i limiti emersi dalla review proponendo un quadro più completo per l’analisi del metaverso, attraverso l’esame di diversi contesti culturali, la combinazione di ricerche provenienti da differenti campi, l’apporto di studi che non sono specificatamente inquadrabili nell’alveo dell’immaginario sociotecnico ma che affrontano più in generale l’immaginario delle tecnologie digitali e immersive, la giustapposizione di una più ampia tipologia di fonti su un più esteso insieme di settori sociali, un maggiore bilanciamento tra la prospettiva utopica e quella distopica. 4. Metodologia Dal rilascio del lavoro di Jasanoff sul rapporto scienza-stato in Europa occidentale, molti progetti in ambito STS hanno utilizzato la valutazione di casi specifici storici o contemporanei come mezzo per testare e sviluppare affermazioni analitiche più generali (Bakale, 2008). L’analisi degli immaginari sociotecnici richiede un approccio interpretativo e comparativo, ponendo attenzione ai “linguaggi del potere” e allo studio della materialità delle pratiche in cui sono costituiti e trasformati (Jasanoff e Kim, 2015). Il concetto di rilettura delle politiche può essere utile, in quanto l’azione del rileggere non solo si concentra sui testi politici, ma adotta una prospettiva più ampia che include la lettura di strumenti, procedure e strategie (Simons e Olssen, 2009). Il progetto sull’imaginario sociotecnico diretto da Jasanoff presso la Harvard Kennedy School (The Sociotechnical Imaginaries Project at the Harvard Kennedy School) colloca tale costrutto a cavallo tra struttura e agency, in quanto combina alcune delle dimensioni soggettive e psicologiche dell’agency con la relativa rigidità dei sistemi tecnologici, degli stili di policy, dei comportamenti organizzativi e della cultura politica. Il progetto definisce degli indicatori su come impiegare i metodi qualitativi più frequentemente usati negli STS. Tra gli indicatori di maggior interesse per questo lavoro di tesi troviamo quelli definiti Immagini e rappresentazione e Utopie e Distopie. Immagini e rappresentazione: le forme di rappresentazione visiva e altre non verbali possono fornire prove significative di immaginari strutturati. La cinematografia fantascientifica può essere una forma più importante di quella verbale come fonte primaria di comprensione dell’immaginazione di attori non statali come società, organizzazioni non governative e movimenti popolari, molti dei quali non producono documenti ufficiali, documenti, o storie. Utopie e distopie: nelle società tecnologicamente avanzate, l’immaginazione di un futuro alternativo, buono o cattivo, non è mai stata interamente controllata dalle azioni e dai discorsi degli attori statali ufficiali e dei loro oppositori. In effetti, autori, sceneggiatori e cineasti hanno a lungo immaginato traiettorie utopiche e distopiche per società che hanno padroneggiato la natura, ma che sono anche diventate dipendenti dalla scienza e dalla tecnologia. A volte le visioni artistiche si sono dimostrate abbastanza potenti da trasformarsi in immaginari culturali ampiamente condivisi, come nel caso di Frankenstein (1818) di Mary Shelley, che è diventato emblematico della tecnologia fuori controllo e continua a ispirare nuovi termini per nuove paure come Frankenfoods. Allo stesso modo, film come Godzilla (1954) hanno contribuito a definire gli immaginari del dopoguerra di catastrofe nucleare e biologica. Tracciare i legami tra le immaginazioni artistiche e altre forme di vita sociale offre ulteriori approfondimenti negli immaginari sociotecnici. Per Jasanoff la fantascienza serve come “un deposito di immaginari sociotecnici” (Jasanoff, 2015) e gli STS hanno già una ricca storia di studi su questo aspetto della fantascienza, anche se non sempre inquadrato in termini di immaginari sociotecnici. Per esempio, gli studiosi hanno esaminato come il film Gattaca (1997) abbia influenzato la politica statunitense sull’editing genetico (Kirby, 2000), mentre il recente progetto del MIT “Press Innovation+Equality” ha come sottotitolo “How to create a future more Star Trek than Terminator.” La fantascienza può infine avere una funzione predittiva a lungo termine poiché le rappresentazioni immaginarie e della finzione da un lato trasmettono segnali di avvertimento, dall’altro incarnano e simboleggiano diversi futuri (Miles, 1993). Queste rappresentazioni simboliche possono fornire visioni alternative su come il futuro può essere compreso e inquadrato (Miles, 1990). Inoltre, le visioni tecnoutopiche possono essere estremamente accattivanti e ispiratrici quando tecnologie di distruzione creativa o innovazione dirompente vengono rilasciate nella società (Bibri, 2015). Questo lavoro di tesi considera tre casi di studio su altrettante serie Tv sci-fi recenti che trattano il tema oggetto di studio. La funzione delle serie Tv è ritenuta da C. Costa (2018) essenziale per cogliere le effervescenze nel mutamento sociale. L’autrice suggerisce, allo stesso modo di Jasanoff, l’adozione di una strategia qualitativa di ricerca e analisi. Si indagano le modalità in cui tali opere diffondano nel pubblico determinati immaginari sull’oggetto di studio e conseguentemente cristallizzino comportamenti e pratiche, necessarie per vivere nella modernità tecnologica della virtualizzazione. 5. Risultati È riscontrata una tendenza nel dibattito pubblico a promuovere il consolidamento del metaverso come ambito tecnico-scientifico rilevante. Il metaverso è visto come un elemento centrale nella trasformazione digitale, alimentato dalle narrazioni delle élite digitali e dei suoi tecnofilosofi re (Bovalino, 2018) - ad.es. Zuckerberg e Musk- e supportato da aziende, media e istituzioni. Questi attori condividono un ottimismo tecnologico, veicolando un immaginario sociotecnico che modifica la percezione sociale e la realtà. La pandemia ha ridefinito la normalità introducendo concetti come smart working, distanziamento e green pass, accelerando l’adozione delle tecnologie digitali. Durante l’Apocalisse virale (Bovalino, 2020) i media hanno funzionato da figura materna sui cittadini, giocando un ruolo cruciale nel plasmare l’immaginario collettivo della nuova normalità, enfatizzando l’idea che le emergenze globali richiedano soluzioni tecnologiche trasformative. La digital transformation è presentata come un insieme eterogeneo di politiche e pratiche che coinvolgono attori globali, tra cui le Big Tech. Questo processo è spesso guidato da interessi economici e politici, con un crescente colonialismo dei dati (Couldry e Mejias, 2019) in cui le interazioni digitali diventano una risorsa economica. L’IA è ritenuta cruciale per lo sviluppo del metaverso, potenziando la capacità progettuale, ma anche alimentando timori di disoccupazione e perdita di controllo umano. Le narrazioni sull’IA oscillano tra utopie (incremento delle capacità umane) e distopie (sottomissione agli algoritmi). In Italia il Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) destina notevoli risorse alla digitalizzazione, pianificando un avvenire basato su una maggiore virtualizzazione. Tuttavia, il documento evidenzia che tali investimenti devono affrontare ostacoli come la mancanza di alfabetizzazione digitale e disparità nell’adozione tecnologica. Le tecnologie 4.0, tra cui l’IA e l’IoT, sono ritenute centrali per la competitività industriale e il progresso sociale (Schwab, 2016). Durante il World Economic Forum 2023 si è individuato il metaverso tra le innovazioni che concorreranno alla realizzazione della Fourth Industrial Revolution. Il metaverso è anche considerato come una piattaforma funzionale alle smart cities (Zefeng et al., 2024), promettendo miglioramenti nella pianificazione urbana, sostenibilità e gestione delle emergenze, attraverso l’uso di digital twin e simulazioni avanzate. Le Big Tech come Google, Amazon e Meta dominano la scena economica attraverso il controllo dei dati, consolidando il capitalismo della sorveglianza (Zuboff, 2015). La pandemia ha ulteriormente rafforzato il loro potere, rendendo critiche le infrastrutture di loro proprietà. Concetti come il Green New Deal e le smart cities evidenziano una spinta verso un futuro tecnologico sostenibile. La visione di Zuckerberg per il metaverso mira a integrare realtà fisica e virtuale, con potenziali applicazioni in sanità, educazione e industria, ma sorgono preoccupazioni riguardo alla centralizzazione nella gestione dei dati e agli impatti psicologici e sociali. La gamification, “l’applicazione di modelli ludici in contesti non ludici” (Barile e Bovalino, 2020), sta diventando centrale in settori come educazione, fitness e marketing, e gioca un ruolo chiave nello sviluppo del metaverso. Elementi predittivi sulla tecnologia oggetto di questo lavoro sono rinvenibili in romanzi, film e telefilm, videogame, i contenuti concettualmente più vicini, anche in termini di user experience, al metaverso in quanto medium. Il termine metaverso fu infatti introdotto da Neal Stephenson nel romanzo Snow Crash (1992), per delineare un mondo tridimensionale virtuale con avatar come rappresentazioni degli utenti. Questo concetto è profondamente radicato nella fantascienza e ispirato da opere come Neuromante (1984) di Gibson e Tron (1982) di Disney. Film come Matrix (1999) e Ready Player One (2018) hanno ulteriormente definito l’immaginario del metaverso, enfatizzando le implicazioni filosofiche, sociali e tecnologiche, tra cui la realtà virtuale, la fusione tra fisico e digitale, e il potenziamento delle esperienze umane. L’immaginario letterario del metaverso oscilla tra visioni utopiche, in cui la tecnologia migliora la vita, e scenari distopici, che evidenziano il rischio di alienazione e controllo corporativo. Ambientazioni come OASIS in Ready Player One dimostrano come il metaverso possa fungere da rifugio dalla realtà, offrendo spazi personalizzati e tematici. La serie Black Mirror (2011 – in produzione) mostra i rischi di abuso tecnologico, perdita di controllo personale e manipolazione dell’identità digitale. I tre casi esaminati riguardano l’episodio Joan is Awful (2023) di Black Mirror, la serie The Peripheral (2022) basata sull’omonimo romanzo di William Gibson e la serie Brave New World (2020), ispirata alla novella di Huxley. In generale le serie descrivono il futuro di un’umanità immersa nel virtuale, preconizzando la vita nel metaverso. La tesi analizza l’episodio Joan is Awful di Black Mirror attraverso il pensiero di Gilles Deleuze (1985), in particolare il concetto di immagine-cristallo, per approfondire i temi della temporalità e della virtualità. Deleuze concepisce il tempo come una coesistenza di presente e passato intrecciati, idea che si rintraccia nell’episodio: la piattaforma Streamberry utilizza l’intelligenza artificiale per registrare e ricreare le azioni di Joan, generando un passato virtuale che deforma e reinterpreta il presente. L’immagine-cristallo, che combina attuale e virtuale, si manifesta nelle versioni digitali di Joan, distorte dagli algoritmi per massimizzare profitto e intrattenimento, enfatizzando aspetti negativi. La Joan spettatrice che diventa attrice suo malgrado, riprende “il progressivo inglobamento dell’individuo comune nella rappresentazioni mediali che hanno decretato il tramonto della società dello spettacolo di Debord e l’avvento di un sistema iperspettacolare, nel quale ogni spettatore è potenzialmente attore” (Baudrillard 1995 cit. in Barile 2022). La ripetizione non è mai identica (Deleuze, 1966): ogni iterazione introduce differenze che trasformano l’originale, come accade nel digital twin di Joan, che genera nuove realtà virtuali, alterando sia la percezione di sé che quella degli altri. Il metaverso di Streamberry, descritto come una matrioska temporale, moltiplica e stratifica realtà virtuali, dissolvendo il confine tra reale e virtuale. Questo virtuale, secondo Deleuze, è una realtà parallela autonoma che influisce profondamente sulla vita reale di Joan, compromettendo le sue relazioni, il lavoro e la percezione sociale. È presente anche una critica al soluzionismo tecnologico, sottolineando come le tecnologie amplifichino i problemi anziché risolverli. Si affrontano i temi del libero arbitrio, dell’iperconnessione, della perdita di autenticità e della sorveglianza digitale, paragonando l’accettazione inconsapevole dei termini d’uso a un patto faustiano. Infine, viene prospettata la riduzione dell’uso della tecnologia come antidoto alla frenesia digitale, in opposizione al predominio del profitto. The Peripheral affronta la dualità tra realtà fisica e virtuale, sviluppandosi su due linee temporali e su due realtà differenti: il presente (fisico) e un futuro alternativo (virtuale). Attraverso una tecnologia chiamata peripheral, gli utenti possono trasferire la propria coscienza in corpi sintetici che interagiscono nel futuro, funzione, questa, che evidenzia come il metaverso possa espandere il concetto di presenza umana oltre i limiti temporali e geografici. La serie presenta il futuro come una realtà che può essere influenzata e modellata dal presente, attraverso una relazione bidirezionale che richiama le teorie sulla temporalità di Deleuze già discusse in relazione al metaverso. La serie affronta il tema della frammentazione dell’identità: la possibilità di vivere simultaneamente in diverse realtà solleva questioni profonde su cosa significhi essere sé stessi in un contesto digitale. Inoltre, viene esplorato il conflitto etico legato al controllo del corpo virtuale, suggerendo un parallelismo con l’attuale dibattito sulla proprietà dei dati e la sovranità digitale. La serie si spinge oltre, presentando un mondo dove la realtà è gamificata: missioni e sfide virtuali diventano parte integrante della sopravvivenza e dell’esperienza umana. Questo richiama l’immaginario di Ready Player One ma lo contestualizza in una narrazione più oscura e realistica. The Peripheral non solo anticipa applicazioni del metaverso ma funge da specchio delle ansie collettive sul suo sviluppo. La serie solleva interrogativi sul controllo delle tecnologie avanzate da parte delle corporazioni, sulle implicazioni etiche del trasferimento della coscienza umana in spazi virtuali, sul rischio di una completa alienazione dal mondo reale e dalle relazioni autentiche. The Peripheral mette in luce come il controllo della tecnologia e delle realtà digitali sia spesso in mano a pochi privilegiati. La protagonista riflette l’impronta cyberpunk di Gibson che, secondo Barile (2015), esprime uno spirito di ribellione e di ricerca individuale. Elementi costitutivi degli immaginari sociotecnici precedentemente descritti sono presenti anche nella serie Brave New World (2020). Ogni cittadino è costantemente sorvegliato e monitorato attraverso dispositivi tecnologici avanzati che registrano comportamenti e emozioni, aspetto non presente nel romanzo originale, ma che rappresenta una critica diretta alla sorveglianza digitale e alla perdita della privacy. Mentre il romanzo vedeva la felicità come un obbligo sociale imposto attraverso il soma, la serie assegna tale ruolo alla tecnologia immersiva, che diventa uno strumento di distorsione delle emozioni e delle esperienze umane. Una piattaforma IA controlla e gestisce ogni ganglio della società di New London, nella quale gli individui fruiscono di tecnologie immersive per essere liberi dalle catene delle malattie, del pregiudizio e della segretezza e poter così vivere in un mondo stabile, sicuro e iperprotettivo. Il sistema digitale tiene sotto sorveglianza ogni cittadino, monitorando emozioni, comportamenti e relazioni tra gli individui per mantenere l’ordine e la stabilità sociale. La connettività perpetua, l’aumento e l’estensione della realtà, la sorveglianza ubiqua sono raffigurazioni che la serie mette efficacemente in risalto: i singoli indossano perennemente un modulo oculare che li connette univocamente all’ IA, proietta loro ologrammi di altri utenti, reali o creati dall’ IA stessa; il dispositivo consente di vedere le attività quotidiane di ognuno, in diretta con commenti o registrate, come fossero dei reels di Instagram o storie di Tik Tok. Il modulo oculare funge anche da pass digitale per muoversi nei settori della città. Questo adattamento mette in luce quanto le visioni distopiche di Huxley siano ancora rilevanti, attualizzandole per riflettere i cambiamenti della nostra epoca attraverso l’inserimento di nuovi elementi legati alla sorveglianza digitale e al bisogno di autenticità reale nel tutto virtualizzato, sottolineando come il desiderio umano di libertà e individualità sia costantemente messo alla prova dalla tecnologia. Si manifesta quindi una contrapposizione tra la visione deterministica e spesso eccessivamente utopica degli attori interessati nello sviluppo del metaverso e le rappresentazioni dei rischi di emarginazione, esclusione sociale, erosione della privacy, sorveglianza e mancanza di controllo democratico, che sono raffigurate nella produzione cinematografica analizzata. Da quanto sopra esposto si evince che il metaverso: combina rappresentazioni speculative della fantascienza con visioni tecnologiche e futuristiche del discorso pubblico; è proposto sia come successore di Internet che come ecosistema di sistemi interconnessi e immersivi; rappresenta una reimmaginazione della vita quotidiana, caratterizzata da connettività digitale, piattaformizzazione e dataficazione; subisce l’influenza del determinismo tecnologico, visioni riduzioniste della vita digitale e priorità economiche che spesso sovrastano considerazioni etiche e culturali; è alimentato dalla convergenza di tecnologie avanzate (ad esempio, XR, IA, Blockchain) e da significativi investimenti finanziari da parte delle grandi aziende tecnologiche; riflette motivazioni economiche, come la creazione di nuovi mercati e modelli di business, piuttosto che rispondere a esigenze sociali o preoccupazioni etiche; ha il potere performativo di mobilitare risorse, plasmare percezioni pubbliche e influenzare decisioni politiche. Dall’analisi della produzione cinematografica e letteraria emerge che la fantascienza ha assunto nel caso del metaverso il ruolo principale nella sua creazione, sviluppo e divulgazione. La fantascienza, attraverso romanzi, film e serie televisive, anticipa scenari futuri e delinea visioni sia utopiche che distopiche. In questo lavoro la complessa costruzione narrativa e tecnologica del metaverso è inquadrata in una cornice interpretativa attraverso l’individuazione di sette miti. Mito della fusione virtuale/online – fisico/life(onlife) attraverso l’immersività Celebra l’integrazione tra reale e virtuale, abbattendo la distinzione tra online e offline, come descritto da Floridi (2015). Tecnologie come la realtà estesa (XR), inclusiva di AR, VR e MR, rendono l’esperienza utente più immersiva, favorendo una continuità tra esperienze fisiche e digitali. Mito della sostenibilità Promette riduzioni dell’impatto ambientale grazie a soluzioni virtuali (es. lavoro remoto, pianificazione urbana digitale). Il metaverso si presenta come alleato nella lotta al cambiamento climatico, attraverso progetti come hVerse e iniziative sostenute dal World Economic Forum per la protezione dell’Amazzonia. Mito della competitività Tecnologie immersive aumentano il PIL globale e creano nuove opportunità economiche, con impatti rilevanti nei settori retail, gaming e intrattenimento. Mondi virtuali come Decentraland offrono spazi per commercio, intrattenimento e interazioni sociali. Mito della convergenza Rappresenta un sistema unico dove piattaforme diverse si fondono in un ecosistema integrato. Secondo Castells (1996), tramite il digitale, la convergenza avviene in modalità reticolare. Tale fusione mediatica e sociale, analizzata da Jenkins (2006), riflette l’integrazione tra contenuti multimediali, partecipazione collettiva e intelligenza collettiva. Il metaverso, nella visione di Zuckerberg, incarna questa unione, seguendo le narrazioni cyberpunk di Stephenson. Mito della fine della storia dell’informatica Bojic (2022) analizzando il video annuncio “The Metaverse and how we’ll build it together,” di Mark Zuckerberg, evidenzia come il Ceo di Meta presenti il metaverso quale la definitiva evoluzione di Internet, come piattaforma informatica finale, perpetuando il mito di un progresso lineare e inevitabile. Mito dell’eroicità del cyborg Esplora l’identità ibrida uomo-macchina, esaltando la resilienza e l’adattamento umano attraverso figure simboliche come Neo di Matrix e Hiro Protagonist di Snow Crash. Il cyborg diventa un simbolo della capacità umana di adattarsi alle tecnologie avanzate, sfidando dicotomie tradizionali. Barile (2021) sottolinea il come cyber-eroe hacker, rappresentato inizialmente come simbolo di libertà e innovazione tecnologica, si stia trasformando in una minaccia alla sicurezza e alla privacy. Mito dell’adeguatezza tecnologica La tecnologia viene rappresentata come soluzione automatica ai problemi sociali e ambientali, spesso promossa con narrazioni ottimistiche e astratte. Tale rappresentazione per il metaverso può, secondo Horppu e Närvänen (2024) influenzare la privacy degli utenti e la sorveglianza che il sistema virtuale può esercitare su questi ultimi. 6. Contributi alla letteratura esistente Questo lavoro di tesi, rispetto alla letteratura esistente, affronta il fenomeno con un approccio interdisciplinare che amplia e integra prospettive precedentemente frammentate. In primo luogo, il discorso tecnico si integra con quello sociale, combinando un approccio mediologico e sociotecnico. Lo studio vuole includere una cultura della comunicazione intesa come insieme di conoscenze, simboli, linguaggi e codici capaci di influenzare mentalità, interpretazioni e comportamenti, sia a livello individuale che collettivo. Un contributo risiede nell’estensione dello sguardo oltre il classico confine occidentale, includendo prospettive e narrative provenienti da contesti culturali diversi. La tesi definisce organicamente il contesto trasformativo in cui il metaverso si colloca, mettendolo in relazione con l’intelligenza artificiale e enfatizzando concetti fondamentali come la nuova temporalità e la dicotomia reale/virtuale. Tali concetti sono circonstanziati all’interno delle narrative analizzate, valutando, oltre le semplici promesse utopiche, soprattutto le dimensioni distopiche, spesso trascurate nel discorso egemone. In questo modo, il lavoro getta le basi per un immaginario alternativo, esplorando anche le modalità di promozione e condivisione democratica del metaverso attraverso il ruolo cruciale della comunicazione e della produzione fantascientifica. L’analisi critica mette in evidenza come l’immaginario tecnologico trasmetta valori e rappresentazioni culturali spesso idealizzati, creando promesse auto-esplicative che sfuggono alla possibilità di essere messe in discussione. Per ottenere ciò è introdotto nell’analisi del metaverso il concetto di mito. Esso è utilizzato per caratterizzare gli elementi narrativi e simbolici di questo universo virtuale. L’adozione di una prospettiva mitica non intende confutare la portata o la rilevanza del metaverso, ma evidenzia il funzionamento degli immaginari sociotecnici, soprattutto quando contengono visioni idealistiche sulla la tecnologia, come nel caso in esame. Il carattere mitico del metaverso è stato impiegato per riflettere sulla sua capacità di trasmettere valori e promesse culturali in modo automatico, aprendo spazi per letture conflittuali e critiche che attingono a discipline e agenti raramente coinvolti nel regime discorsivo predominante. Infine, l’insieme dei miti analizzati è stato sistematizzato in modo coerente, organizzando i diversi livelli di argomentazione critica che sono emersi sul metaverso da quando questo ha assunto una posizione di primo piano. Questo lavoro fornisce una struttura integrata che combina contributi di autori e discipline precedentemente non sufficientemente ordinati, offrendo così alla letteratura un quadro più definito delle questioni teoriche, sociali e culturali sollevate dal metaverso. 7. Conclusioni Lo sperimentato posizionamento nello spazio domestico della maggior parte delle attività umane per il tramite di piattaforme, quali lo smart working, i social network, l’ecommerce, l’online food ordering, la didattica a distanza, il virtual reality fitness, il sistema unico di accesso con identità digitale ai servizi online, possono rappresentare l’humus per l’avvento di un ecosistema virtuale, alimentato da tecnologie emergenti come il 5G e i dispositivi immersivi, capace di connettere il mondo fisico e digitale. Il metaverso segue il percorso della digitalizzazione, in una traiettoria coevolutiva di esseri umani e macchina, scandita da periodiche conquiste tecnologiche e dalla fiducia che abbiamo riposto nell’IA (Nowotny, 2021). L’immaginario prevalente sui mondi virtuali è basato su ambite “forme di vita e ordine sociale” (Jasanoff e Kim, 2015), che il progetto tecnoscientifico del metaverso può portare a termine. Questo immaginario sociotecnico riflette i desideri e le speranze di diverse generazioni di élite tecnoscientifiche e altri attori con possibilità decisionale. Da un lato, il metaverso è visto come uno strumento per risolvere problemi globali e migliorare l’istruzione, la sanità e il lavoro; dall’altro, solleva preoccupazioni legate al controllo corporativo, alla privacy, alla polarizzazione sociale e al rischio di alienazione. Il metaverso, quale evoluzione di Internet, avrà un impatto decisivo su individui e società. Nella fase attuale, questo mondo virtuale rimane vicino alla realtà distopica descritta da Stephenson, dominata da un meta-capitalismo anarchico, in cui il potere è in gran parte gestito da multinazionali, con un ruolo comprimario delle istituzioni statali. Ad oggi, forte appare infatti il ruolo dei tecno-re patriarchi del capitalismo digitale nel plasmare e dominare questi nuovi mondi virtuali, al quale con difficoltà altri attori istituzionali cercano fare da contrappeso. In Snow Crash, la dimensione del digital twin di ogni individuo diventa utopica in contrasto con una realtà distopica caratterizzata da un tessuto sociale lacerato, uno Stato assente e poteri privati incontrollati. In Ready Player One si delinea un mondo virtuale dalle connotazioni utopiche, in cui le persone cercano di evadere dalle difficoltà del degrado del mondo reale. Il metaverso ha un forte potenziale economico, con stime di crescita significative entro il 2030. Tuttavia, restano aperte questioni cruciali sulla governance (centralizzata o decentralizzata), sulla protezione dei dati personali e sull’impatto psicologico e sociale. Le narrazioni sul futuro producono immaginari sociotecnici nei quali sono sviluppate. In questo quadro, lo Stato può svolgere un ruolo fondamentale: possiede mezzi materiali e simbolici per delineare le traiettorie future della nostra società, costruire istituzioni che indichino i rischi e le potenzialità insite in esse, richiedere il commitment dei diversi attori sociali. Un metaverso orientato in chiave antropocentrica, come suggerisce la direzione intrapresa dall’Europa, potrebbe offrire un orizzonte di senso, una eterotopia in cui esplorare nuove possibilità. È fondamentale quindi sviluppare progetti di matrice comunitaria in cui si promuovano visioni politiche a lungo termine per garantire che i mondi del metaverso possano avere un impatto positivo sulla vita democratica e limitare le potenziali minacce alla democrazia. 8. Limiti e traiettorie di ricerca futura Relazione tra Globale e Locale Un primo limite emerso riguarda la difficoltà di bilanciare la dimensione globale con quella locale. Sebbene sia stato inevitabile adottare un approccio globale, vista la portata transnazionale delle piattaforme di intrattenimento e dei fenomeni legati al metaverso, il lavoro non ha esplorato a fondo casi specifici relativi a comunità locali, ad es. l’Italia. Includere casi concreti come l’uso del metaverso nell’Ospedale di Cagliari e nei musei, o l’Eduverso nella scuola potrebbe offrire una prospettiva più articolata. Tale integrazione permetterebbe di analizzare meglio come le realtà territoriali si adattino e rispondano alle dinamiche globali del metaverso, fondendo in maniera più organica queste due scale di analisi. Cyborg ed infrastruttura Altre traiettorie di ricerca futura possono riguardare i concetti STS di cyborg e infrastruttura. Il cyborg concettualizzato da Haraway (1991) vede gli esseri umani come parte di una rete di relazioni tecnologiche e sociali piuttosto che come entità autonome. Negli studi sul metaverso, il concetto di cyborg trova ragione d’essere in considerazione delle tecnologie che ampliano le capacità del corpo umano, come la AR, la VR o le interfacce cervello-computer. Ad esempio, gli avatar nel metaverso possono essere visti come estensioni cyborg della nostra identità, poiché fondono il fisico e il digitale in nuove forme di rappresentazione. L’infrastruttura non si limita a un significato puramente tecnico (strade, reti elettriche, sistemi informatici, ecc.), ma viene analizzata come un concetto sociotecnico, ossia come una rete complessa che collega persone, pratiche, tecnologie e istituzioni. Geoffrey Bowker e Susan Leigh Star, due studiosi fondamentali negli STS, descrivono l’infrastruttura come “invisibile fino a quando non fallisce”. Questo significa che le infrastrutture tendono a passare inosservate, ma sono fondamentali per il funzionamento di qualsiasi sistema sociale o tecnologico. Ad esempio, nel metaverso, le infrastrutture includono le piattaforme tecnologiche, i protocolli di rete, gli algoritmi di intelligenza artificiale e le blockchain che rendono possibile l’esistenza di mondi virtuali. Le infrastrutture sono spesso costruite per essere standardizzate, in modo da connettere persone e sistemi su larga scala. Questo aspetto è particolarmente rilevante per il metaverso, dove la interoperabilità tra piattaforme è considerata una sfida cruciale. Negli STS, la standardizzazione è vista non solo come un processo tecnico, ma come un’azione politica e sociale che determina chi può accedere a determinate risorse e chi ne è escluso. Gli STS sottolineano che le infrastrutture non sono neutre, ma sono modellate da decisioni politiche, economiche e culturali. Chi controlla un’infrastruttura (ad esempio una piattaforma del metaverso) ha il potere di influenzare comportamenti, accesso e partecipazione. Gli esseri umani nel metaverso, tramite avatar e tecnologie integrate, possono essere considerati elementi attivi di un’infrastruttura sociotecnica. Ad esempio, i dati prodotti dagli utenti (dai dati biometrici, alle interazioni, fino ai movimenti degli avatar) diventano una componente essenziale delle infrastrutture del metaverso. Nel considerare il metaverso un’infrastruttura globale che collega utenti, dispositivi e tecnologie, è necessario interrogarsi su chi ne detiene il controllo, chi ne beneficia e chi potrebbe esserne escluso. La fusione tra umano e tecnologia nel metaverso spinge a riconsiderare il concetto di identità, ponendo domande su autenticità, rappresentazione e agency nell’ambiente virtuale, temi che possono includere ulteriori linee di ricerca nell’ambito del cyborg e dell’infrastruttura, come quelle che si descrivono di seguito. Rappresentazione ed identità Come sottolineato da V. Codeluppi (2018) il mondo digitale evolve rapidamente, creando simulacri integrali, cioè copie virtuali che possiedono una loro autenticità indipendente dal mondo fisico. Questi simulacri non sono più mere rappresentazioni della realtà, ma esistono autonomamente, senza necessità di una corrispondenza diretta con il mondo materiale. In questa nuova dimensione, il valore viene generato esclusivamente all’interno del virtuale, portandoci verso un futuro sempre più separato dalla realtà tradizionale. Nel metaverso gli utenti possono rappresentare sé stessi in modi che sfidano i vincoli sociali e fisici della vita reale. Al contempo le esperienze virtuali possono essere progettate per essere altamente immersive e convincere gli utenti della loro autenticità. Ciò apre interrogativi su chi controlla queste narrazioni e quali interessi vi siano dietro. L’analisi di questi aspetti richiede un approccio critico che consideri sia le opportunità di auto-espressione, sia i rischi legati alla manipolazione. Ridefinizione della realtà Nel metaverso, ciò che è reale è sempre più determinato dall’esperienza soggettiva: si può indagare la validità delle esperienze digitali rispetto a quelle fisiche. Ad esempio, un’interazione sociale virtuale può essere considerata meno autentica di una fisica? In secondo luogo sulla performatività della realtà: nel metaverso, i dati creano realtà. Ciò implica che le realtà digitali non si limitano a rappresentare il mondo fisico, ma lo costruiscono attivamente attraverso interazioni e narrazioni digitali. Verità e manipolazione Tradizionalmente basata sulla corrispondenza tra affermazioni e fatti, la verità nel metaverso si complica a causa della possibilità di costruire e manipolare realtà digitali. Si potrebbe quindi indagare la sfida alla verità tradizionale: nel metaverso, ciò che è percepito come vero può dipendere dalla coerenza interna di una narrazione virtuale, piuttosto che dalla corrispondenza con il mondo fisico. Ciò potrebbe portare alla creazione di verità parallele. Si potrebbe poi trattare il concetto di verità come coerenza: il metaverso potrebbe favorire un approccio basato sulla coerenza logica tra elementi interni al sistema virtuale, rendendo il concetto di verità più fluido e contestuale. Transumanesimo e immortalità digitale L’idea del riversamento della coscienza in un avatar che possa continuare a vivere dopo la morte solleva interrogativi etici ed esistenziali. Che fine fanno le nostre influenze nel metaverso dopo la nostra morte? Gli avatar, una volta creati, potrebbero continuare ad esistere come entità autonome, ridefinendo il concetto di identità personale e di eredità digitale.
IL METAVERSO COME IMMAGINARIO SOCIOTECNICO. La costruzione dei nuovi mondi digitali
Morabito, Guido
2025
Abstract
1. Introduction This work describes some of the ways in which metaverse and immersive technologies are interwoven with world conceptions, political and social ideals, and with the idea of what our society considers desirable or possible. The thesis analyzes past, present and future visions of the metaverse using the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, understood as imagination practices that guide the design and adoption of technologies perceived as appropriate. This approach starts from the concept of sociotechnical imaginary proposed by Sheila Jasanoff and Sang-Hyun Kim, integrating it with interdisciplinary contributions from sociology, media studies and philosophy of technology. The metaverse is considered here not only as an emerging technology, but also as a cultural symbol, comprising expectations, fears and hopes for the future, attributable to social representations of digital transformation. The object of study is defined by recognising both the traits of digital life (devices, infrastructures, services, dynamics) within the hyperconnected society and the technical-functional characteristics. An object of research is framed as a widespread but justified objective reality that affects the agenda of states. The metaverse seems to follow the trajectory of current society towards a pervasive virtualization, understood in the sense of Pierre Lévy (Lizzi, 2012), which on the one hand reflects socio-cultural transformations and on the other actively contributes to their metamorphosis, opening new paths of socialization, interaction and symbolic negotiation. Introduced in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) by Jasanoff and Kim in Containing the Atom: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and Nuclear Power in the United States and South Korea (2009) and fully defined in Dreamscapes of Modernity: Sociotechnical Imaginaries and the Fabrication of Power (2015), the sociotechnical imaginaries are “collectively held, institutionally stabilized, and publicly performed visions of desirable futures, animated by shared understandings of forms of social life and social order attainable through, and supportive of, advances in science and technology” (Jasanoff, 2015). The authors highlight political and cultural application in various contexts (colonialism, global security, nanotechnology), as well as political value as a tool to shape public and future collective goals. The political value of the idea of sociotechnical imaginary is evident, but it does not make it exempt from power dynamics that are also materialized through visual and artistic representations, for three orders of reasons. Firstly, because the imaginary allows to think a technology before it is actually feasible (Flichy, 1995), and then scientific speculation (science fiction, precisely) can be a very good tool for understanding the social and cultural consequences of a particular technology. Secondly, because the science fiction imaginary - books, films, comics, video games - is the cultural humus in which the technological communities are formed, that are then called to develop technologies: computer scientists, engineers, Entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. Thirdly, the imaginary is also a tool to make technologies accepted and acceptable within the social organization, especially when they are presented as innovations that could undo both the economic and the political and cultural dimensions (Bijker, 1995). The salient elements of the sociotechnical imaginaries are: the desirability of the future that is imagined, the fact that this vision is shared by some form of collectivity, a certain level of institutionalisation and direct reference to the use of a technological solution for a given problem. From a STS perspective, it is essential to achieve the objectives of understanding set, the analysis of media narratives, as they can model, reproduce, counteract what may be feasible (knowledge) and desirable (imaginary), as well as what is considered appropriate or inappropriate (norms, values and beliefs) for social and individual welfare. The metaverse is a cyberimmersive, persistent, transcendent, high-performance, shared and integrated space with numerous types of detection devices, pervasive computer systems and wireless communication networks that can perceive, think, feel and interact with manuser and its virtual representations in the form of avatar with multiple identities. The metaverse underpins a 3D always-on-space grid of realistic virtual spaces to which people can connect to socialize, learn, work, trade, play and much more thanks to the convergence of big data based technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and immersive technologies. The result is a set of digital worlds, an evolved Internet successor to the mobile Internet, which interweaves media, culture and commerce in a new and more immersive way, from global horizons. The metaverse, originated from digital culture, is evolving into an environment with practical applications in sectors such as education and health, influencing user’s cognitive and affective perspectives. Its architecture integrates advanced technologies such as blockchain (decentralized economy), 5G/6G networks (low latency), artificial intelligence (refined environments and digital twins) and the Internet of Things (IoT), for connection with physical objects. The definition of metaverse that converges in literature is: “the layer between you and reality, a virtual, shared, 3D world where all activities can be carried out with the help of augmented and virtual reality services” (Damar, 2021). The devices needed for mass use of the metaverse are VR visors, haptic gloves, Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) (Dwivedi Y.K et al., 2022). The metaverse is based on four cornerstones, Spatial Computing, Reality -Virtuality Continuum, a social/participatory dimension and a purpose. Spatial Computing represents a fundamental evolution in human-machine interaction, extending the capabilities of cyborg to allow integrating three-dimensional digital experiences with physical reality. Reality-Virtuality Continuum represents the fusion of the physical and virtual worlds: the former is converted into pixels; the second, on the other hand, takes concrete forms in the world in flesh and blood. However, these components need a deeper reason to be in order to attract users: this is where the purpose becomes crucial . In fact, technology never develops in isolation from culture: every innovation is born and grows within a culture that models it and uses it (Williams, 1963). Technological evolution is not a linear process, but rather a remediation phenomenon (Bolter and Grusin, 1999): each new medium compares and integrates with existing ones, creating a sort of hybrid where the experiences and languages of the former media influence the new ones, “the content of one medium is always another medium” as McLuhan (1967) observed. The metaverse, from the point of view of communication, is the result of the contamination between television, video games and social media, representing the most complex among these hybrids, since it dissolves the boundaries between support, content, history, experience and interface. 2. Research objectives and questions The aim of this thesis is to characterize the metaverse as a sociotechnical imaginary, as a collective shared vision of a possible future, declined in terms of a deeper virtualization of human life and representative of a further stage of the digital transformation. The thesis reconstructs the debate on digital innovation during the pandemic emergency. It is illustrated how on the surface of mainstream discourse has emerged the concept of new normality, a human condition both physical and virtual, which, making strong use of new technologies in the digital field, wants to overcome the limits that emerged during the pandemic, to escape unscathed from the periodic, predictable appearance of the disruptions intrinsically linked to the nature of global community in which humanity finds itself in the postmodern. We investigate the contribution of science fiction in the past and present construction of sociotechnical imaginaries of the metaverse. Objectives of research Conceptual analysis: to explore and define the metaverse as a sociotechnical imaginary, paying particular attention to its symbolic and narrative construction. Socio-cultural impact: tracing the path from speculative fiction to sociotechnical visions of the metaverse. Investigate how immersive technologies associated with the metaverse influence social, identity and cultural dynamics. Critical assessment: analyze the benefits and risks of adopting and evolving the metaverse. Develop a conceptual model on the discursive premises of the metaverse. Propose a framework of re-meaning for the basis of an alternative imaginary. Research questions To find the key narratives that define the sociotechnical imaginaries of the metaverse. How science fiction plays influence the perception of the metaverse. How the metaverse redefines the boundaries between real and virtual in social practices. How hegemonic narratives affect expectations towards the metaverse. To define the concept of time in the sociotechnical imaginations related to the metaverse. Which visions are prevalent among the utopian and dystopian. The thesis presents a pyramidal articulation which, starting from theoretical and macrosocial considerations on the metaverse phenomenon, highlights its characteristics, its declinations and its history. In particular, the first chapter discusses the concept of sociotechnical imaginary. In the second chapter we deal with the metaverse from a technical-functional perspective, also in its relation to AI. In the third chapter, we reconstruct an interpretative map of the role of the metaverse in society, starting from a transversal analysis of narratives in the current context. An overview of the hegemonic discourse is made, to identify the predominant view on the metaverse, its location in the digital transformation and its close connection with AI, analyzing the conferment of a function of solution to the crises envisaged in the new forms of inhabiting the world conveyed in the ideas of new normality, green transition and smart cities. The fourth chapter explores the imaginative level, focusing on film production and analysing three TV series. In the final part of the doctoral thesis, a conceptual model is presented on the discursive premises of the metaverse through the identification of seven myths and finally a re-meaning framework for the bases of an alternative sociotechnical imaginary is proposed. 3. Limitations of existing literature The idea of sociotechnical imaginary, draws at least partially from other important theoretical contributions, such as: the imagined communities of Anderson (1991), with whom it initially shares the focus nation specific, then surpassed in Dreamscapes of Modernity; the social imaginaries of Castoriadis (1975), whose social theory places imagination at the centre of company formation; the cultural dimensions of globalization by Appadurai (1996), which emphasizes the existence of several cultural flows operating simultaneously in a globalized world; Taylor’s (2004) critical approach to modern western social imaginaries; and finally the techno-scientific imaginaries of Marcus (1995), which openly addresses the relationship between science and power. Moreover, as McNeil et al. (2016) point out, throughout the 20th century the idea of imaginary appeared in different forms within multiple disciplines, such as Western philosophy, psychoanalysis and social and political theory. The most used definition is that provided in Dreamscapes of Modernity, which differs from the original one by the same authors, because it removes the emphasis from a purely national perspective by opening the field to the identification and study of imaginaries related to different territorial contexts, for example regional or supranational. Sismondo notes that sociotechnical imaginaries can also be seen as “infrastructures for imagining and planning the future. But [...] are also typically contested, changeable, flexible and loose on the margins” (Sismondo, 2020). It is possible to trace the links between imaginations and very pragmatic ways of realising them, for example through technological design processes, funding opportunities, project resources, policy making, market regulation, user involvement. One key strength of this approach is that it sheds light on the familiar and everyday aspects of our lives, on elements which are taken for granted in classical analyses in the field of Cultural Studies, such as the ideologies that guide us or the prejudices whose existence is not even recognized. In The Ethics of Invention (2016) Jasanoff overcomes the common assumption that technology is an apolitical and amoral force. It shows that technology can distort the meaning of democracy and citizenship unless we consider carefully how to direct its power rather than let it shape us. In The Ethics of inventions looks to a future where companies work together - in open and democratic dialogue - to discuss both the dangers and the promise of technology. To identify the political and public operations involved in the institutional and performative stabilisation of sociotechnical imaginaries, a series of researches has effectively used technoepistemic networks (Rommetveit, Van Dijk and Gunnardóttir, 2020). Derived from the epistemic communities (Haas, 1992), these networks represent multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary groups, whose function is to link heterogeneous actors and their knowledge in order to confer epistemic and cognitive legitimacy on techno-scientific innovations of social relevance. Desires and dreams are the focus of the theoretical system of Jasanoff. Using the sociotechnical term, Jasanoff emphasizes both STS’s traditional focus on the important role played by techno-science in collective life and “the aspirational and normative dimensions of social order” (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015). With its reference to aspiration and regulation in relation to visions of a desirable future, Jasanoff’s work takes a utopian turn. As Levitas acknowledges, the popular understanding of utopia is often like an unworkable fantasy or unfulfilled dream worse, the road to totalitarianism (Levitas, 2011). He defines utopia as “the expression of a desire for a better way to live and be” (Levitas, 2013). The utopianism implicit in Jasanoff’s account of what she understands from sociotechnical imaginaries is noteworthy for several reasons. Firstly, because scholars have argued that utopia as a cultural form is in decline (Kumar, 2003). This decline is not limited to the cultural imagination alone, but is also evident in the writings of many social thinkers, scientists and engineers as well, who imagine and predict imminent futures of disaster, collapse, and decline (Urry, 2016). For Berardi the concept of future, as it was understood in the twentieth century on the basis of the notion of progress towards improvement, enrichment, even perfection, is finished (Berardi, 2011). He argues that in the western cultural imagination, dystopia has replaced utopia in representations of possible futures. The work of Jasanoff and others on sociotechnical imaginaries seems to suggest otherwise: although images of decline and collapse are indeed prevalent, for many actors the techno-science is the means to work towards the realization of desirable futures. Finally, in Dreamscapes of Modernity, Jasanoff invites us to include global perspectives and to investigate how non-Western cultures imagine their technological future. Moving on to the most recent research that investigate the metaverse from the point of view of the sociotechnical imaginary, among the most relevant we find the work of Horppu and Närvänen (2024) which investigates the sociotechnical imaginaries of the metaverse through a media analysis of textual data, to outline the influence on public understanding. Hunt (2024), instead, analyzing historical data related to the evolution of federated networks and interviewing experts, focuses on metaverse functional network architecture: interoperability, standardization, usability and scalability. Hassan (2020) examines the role of sociotechnical imaginaries of digital platforms, an aspect of considerable interest in the perspective of a metaverse in which several virtual ecosystems converge. However, the study does not take this angle into account. Another important study is that of Bibri (2022) which compares the emergence of the metaverse with the sociotechnical imaginaries of smart cities based on datafication, proposing a sociotechnical roadmap focused on future urban development. The author mentions the role of science fiction in the conception of the metaverse but does not examine sci- fi production. Although the contribution of science fiction production in laying the creative foundations for the birth of the metaverse has been mentioned in literature, this aspect has not been sufficiently explored within the sociotechnical imaginary. In fact, social functions and impacts, design modalities were analyzed, focusing exclusively on the analysis of speech. However, the two aspects are not being considered together. Specularly, the research on traditional and contemporary imaginary that deal with the metaverse do not combine their reflections with the analysis of sources typical of sociotechnical imaginary such as speeches, government documents, political reports, public consultations, recommendations by state or private entities. This thesis addresses the limitations of the review by proposing a more complete framework for the analysis of the metaverse, through the examination of different cultural contexts, the combination of research from different fields, the contribution of studies that are not specifically framed in the wave of sociotechnical imagination but that address more generally the imaginary of digital and immersive technologies, the juxtaposition of a wider typology of sources on a broader set of social sectors, a greater balance between utopian and dystopian perspectives. 4. Methodology Since the release of Jasanoff’s work on the science-state relationship in Western Europe, many STS projects have used the assessment of specific historical or contemporary cases as a means to test and develop more general analytical claims (Bakale, 2008). The analysis of sociotechnical imaginaries requires an interpretative and comparative approach, focusing on the languages of power and the study of the materiality of the practices in which they are constituted and transformed (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015). The concept of re-reading can be useful, as the action of policy readback is not only focused on policy texts but takes a broader perspective that includes reading instruments, procedures and strategies (Simons and Olssen, 2009). The Sociotechnical Imaginaries Project at the Harvard Kennedy School directed by Jasanoff places this construction between structure and agency, as it combines some of the subjective and psychological dimensions of agency with the relative rigidity of technological systems, policy styles, organizational behaviors and political culture. The project defines indicators on how to use the most frequently used qualitative methods in STS. Among the indicators of greatest interest for this thesis work are those defined as Images and representations, Utopias and Dystopias. Images and representation: forms of visual representation and other non-verbal forms can provide significant evidence of structured imaginary. Science fiction film may be a more important form than verbal as the primary source of understanding the imagination of non-state actors such as societies, non-governmental organizations and popular movements, many of which do not produce official documents, documents, or stories. Utopias and dystopias: in technologically advanced societies, the imagination of an alternative future, good or bad, has never been entirely controlled by the actions and speeches of official state actors and their opponents. Indeed, authors, screenwriters and film-makers have long imagined utopian and dystopian trajectories for societies that have mastered nature but also become dependent on science and technology. Sometimes artistic visions have proved powerful enough to become widely shared cultural imaginaries, as in the case of Frankenstein (1818) of Mary Shelley, who has become emblematic of out-of-control technology and continues to inspire new terms for new fears like Frankenfoods. Similarly, films such as Godzilla (1954) have helped to define the post-war imaginaries of nuclear and biological catastrophe. Tracing the links between artistic imaginations and other forms of social life offers further insights into sociotechnical imaginaries. For Jasanoff science fiction serves as “a repository of sociotechnical imaginaries” (Jasanoff, 2015) and STS already have a rich history of studies on this aspect of science fiction, although not always framed in terms of sociotechnical imaginaries. For example, the researchers examined how the film Gattaca (1997) influenced US policy on genetic editing (Kirby, 2000), while the recent MIT project Press Innovation+Equality has as its subtitle How to create a future more Star Trek than Terminator. Science fiction can finally have a long-term predictive function since the imaginary and fictional representations on the one hand transmit warning signals, on the other hand embody and symbolize different futures (Miles, 1993). These symbolic representations may provide alternative visions of how the future can be understood and framed (Miles, 1990). Furthermore, techno-utopian visions can be extremely captivating and inspiring when technologies of creative destruction or disruptive innovation are released into society (Bibri, 2015). This thesis work considers three case studies on several scientific TV series dealing with the subject matter under study. The function of TV series is considered essential by Costa (2018) to grasp the effervescences in social change. The author suggests, in the same way as Jasanoff, the adoption of a qualitative strategy of research and analysis. We investigate the ways in which these works spread certain imaginary about the object of study and consequently crystallize behaviors and practices, necessary to live in the technological modernity of virtualization. 5. Results There is a tendency in the public debate to promote the consolidation of the metaverse as a relevant technical and scientific field. The metaverse is seen as a central element in digital transformation, fueled by the narratives of the digital elites and their techno-philosophers kings (Bovalino, 2018) – e.g. Zuckerberg and Musk- and supported by companies, media and institutions. These actors share a technological optimism, conveying a sociotechnical imaginary that modifies social perception and reality. The pandemic has redefined normality by introducing concepts such as smart working, distancing and green pass, accelerating the adoption of digital technologies. During the Viral Apocalypse (Bovalino, 2020) the media acted as a maternal figure on citizens, playing a crucial role in shaping the collective imagination of the new normal, emphasizing the idea that global emergencies require transformative technological solutions. The digital transformation is presented as a heterogeneous set of policies and practices involving global actors, including Big Tech. This process is often driven by economic and political interests, with a growing data colonialism (Couldry and Mejias, 2019) in which digital interactions become an economic resource. AI is considered crucial for the development of the metaverse, enhancing design capacity but also fueling fears of unemployment and loss of human control. Narratives on AI oscillate between utopias (increase in human capacity) and dystopias (submission to algorithms). In Italy, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) allocates significant resources to digitalization, planning a future based on a deeper virtualization. However, the paper highlights that such investments face barriers such as lack of digital literacy and disparities in technology adoption. 4.0 Technologies, including AI and IoT, are considered central to industrial competitiveness and social progress (Schwab, 2016). During the World Economic Forum 2023, the metaverse was identified among the innovations that will contribute to the realization of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The metaverse is also considered as a functional platform for smart cities (Zefeng et al., 2024), promising improvements in urban planning, sustainability and emergency management through the use of digital twin and advanced simulations. Big Tech like Google, Amazon and Meta dominate the economic scene through data control, consolidating surveillance capitalism (Zuboff, 2015). The pandemic has further strengthened their power, making critical their own infrastructure. Concepts such as the Green New Deal and smart cities highlight a push towards a sustainable technological future. Zuckerberg’s vision for the metaverse aims to integrate physical and virtual reality, with potential applications in health, education and industry, but concerns arise about centralization in data management and psychological and social impacts. Gamification, “the application of playful models in non-playful contexts” (Barile and Bovalino, 2020), is becoming central in areas such as education, fitness and marketing, and plays a key role in the development of the metaverse. Predictive elements on the technology subject of this work are found in novels, films and television shows, video games, the content conceptually closer, even in terms of user experience, to the metaverse as a medium. The term metaverse was introduced by Neal Stephenson in the novel Snow Crash (1992), to outline a virtual three-dimensional world with avatars representations of users. This concept is deeply rooted in science fiction and inspired by works such as Gibson’s Neuromante (1984) and Disney’s Tron (1982). Films such as Matrix (1999) and Ready Player One (2018) further defined the metaverse’s imaginary, emphasizing its philosophical, social and technological implications, including virtual reality, the fusion of physical and digital, and the empowerment of human experiences. The literary imaginary of the metaverse oscillates between utopian visions, in which technology improves life, and dystopian scenarios, which highlight the risk of alienation and corporate control. Environments such as OASIS in Ready Player One show how the metaverse can serve as a refuge from reality, offering personalized and thematic spaces. The Black Mirror series (2011 - in production) shows the risks of technology abuse, loss of personal control and digital identity manipulation. The three cases here examined concern the episode Joan is Awful (2023) of Black Mirror, the series The Peripheral (2022) based on the novel of the same name by William Gibson and the series Brave New World (2020), inspired by Huxley’s novel. In general, the series above describe the future of a humanity immersed in the virtual, predicting life in the metaverse. The thesis analyzes Black Mirror episode Joan is Awful through the thought of Gilles Deleuze (1985), using in particular the concept of crystal- image, to deepen the themes of temporality and virtuality. Deleuze conceives time as a coexistence of the present and past intertwined, idea that is tracked in the episode: the platform Streamberry uses artificial intelligence to record and recreate the actions of Joan, generating a virtual past that deforms and reinterprets the present. The crystal-image, which combines current and virtual, manifests itself in Joan’s digital versions, distorted by algorithms to maximize profit and entertainment, emphasizing negative aspects. The spectator Joan who becomes an actress in spite of herself, takes “the progressive inclusion of the common individual in the media representations that have decreed the sunset of the society of the spectacle of Debord and the advent of a system hyperspectacular, in which every spectator is potentially actor” (Baudrillard 1995 cit. in Barile, 2022). Repetition is never identical (Deleuze, 1966): each iteration introduces differences that transform the original, as happens in the digital twin of Joan, which generates new virtual realities, altering both the perception of self and others. The Streamberry metaverse, described as a time matryoshka, with multiplies and stratifies virtual realities, dissolving the boundary between real and virtual. This virtual, according to Deleuze, is an autonomous parallel reality that profoundly affects Joan’s real life, compromising her relationships, work and social perception. There is also a critique of technological solutionism, pointing out that technologies amplify problems rather than solve them. The themes of free will, hyperconnection, loss of authenticity and digital surveillance are addressed, comparing the unconscious acceptance of terms of use to a faustian pact. Finally, the reduction of the use of technology as an antidote to the digital frenzy, in opposition to the predominance of profit. The Peripheral addresses the duality between physical and virtual reality, developing on two time lines and two different realities: the present (physical) and an alternative future (virtual). Through a technology called peripheral, users can transfer their consciousness into synthetic bodies that interact in the future: this function shows how the metaverse can expand the concept of human presence beyond the temporal and geographical limits. The series presents the future as a reality that can be influenced and shaped by the present, through a two-way relationship that recalls Deleuze’s theories on temporality already discussed in relation to the metaverse. The series addresses the theme of identity fragmentation: the possibility of living simultaneously in different realities raises profound questions about what it means to be oneself in a digital context. In addition, the ethical conflict related to virtual body control is explored, suggesting a parallel with the current debate on data ownership and digital sovereignty. The series goes further, presenting a world where reality is gamified: virtual missions and challenges become an integral part of survival and human experience. This recalls the imaginary of Ready Player One but contextualizes it in a darker and more realistic narrative. The Peripherals not only anticipate applications of the metaverse but serve as a mirror for collective anxieties about its development. The series raises questions about corporate control of advanced technologies, the ethical implications of transferring human consciousness to virtual spaces, and the risk of complete alienation from the real world and authentic relationships. The Peripheral highlights how control of technology and digital realities is often in the hands of a privileged few. The protagonist reflects the cyberpunk imprint of Gibson, which, according to Barile (2015), expresses a spirit of rebellion and individual research. The elements of the sociotechnical imaginaries described above are also present in the series Brave New World (2020). Every citizen is constantly monitored and supervised by advanced technological devices that record behaviors and emotions, aspect not present in the original novel, but which represents a direct criticism of digital surveillance and loss of privacy. While the novel saw happiness as a social obligation imposed through soma, the series assigns this role to immersive technology, which becomes an instrument of distortion of human emotions and experiences. An AI platform controls and manages every nodule of the New London society, in which individuals benefit from immersive technologies to be free from the chains of disease, prejudice and secrecy and thus live in a stable world, safe and overprotective. The digital system keeps every citizen under surveillance, monitoring emotions, behaviors and relationships between individuals to maintain order and social stability. Perpetual connectivity, the increase and extension of reality, ubiquitous surveillance are depictions that the series effectively highlights: individuals wear perpetually an eyepiece module that uniquely connects them to the AI, projects their holograms of other users, real or created by the IA itself; the device allows you to see everyone’s daily activities, live with comments or recorded, as if they were Instagram reels or stories of Tik Tok. The eyepiece module also acts as a digital pass to move around sectors of the city. This adaptation highlights how relevant Huxley’s dystopian views are still, updating them to reflect the changes of our time through the inclusion of new elements related to digital surveillance and the need for real authenticity in all virtualized, underlining how the human desire for freedom and individuality is constantly tested by technology. There is thus a contrast between the deterministic and often overly utopian vision of the actors involved in the development of the metaverse and the representations of the risks of marginalization, social exclusion, erosion of privacy, lack of supervision and democratic control, which are depicted in the film production analysed. From the above the metaverse: combines speculative representations of science fiction with technological and futuristic visions of public discourse; is proposed both as a successor to the Internet and as an ecosystem of interconnected, immersive systems; represents a reimagining of everyday life, characterised by digital connectivity, platformization and datafication; is influenced by technological determinism, reductionist views of digital life and economic priorities that often overshadow ethical and cultural considerations; is driven by the convergence of advanced technologies (e.g., XR, IA, Blockchain) and significant financial investments by large technology companies; reflects economic motivations, such as the creation of new markets and business models, rather than responding to social needs or ethical concerns; has the performative power to mobilize resources, shape public perceptions and influence policy decisions. From the analysis of film and literary production it emerges that science fiction has taken on a major role in the creation, development and dissemination of metaverse. Science fiction, through novels, films and television series, has anticipated future scenarios and outlined both utopian and dystopian visions. In this work the complex narrative and technological construction of the metaverse is framed in an interpretative framework through the identification of seven myths. Myth of virtual/online fusion - physical/life(onlife) through immersiveness Celebrates the integration between real and virtual, breaking down the distinction between online and offline, as described by Floridi (2015). Technologies such as Extended Reality (XR), including AR, VR and MR, make the user experience more immersive, fostering a continuity between physical and digital experiences. Myth of sustainability Promises reductions in environmental impact through virtual solutions (e.g. remote work, digital urban planning). The metaverse is an ally in the fight against climate change, through projects such as hVerse and initiatives supported by the World Economic Forum for the protection of the Amazon. The myth of competitiveness Immersive technologies increase global GDP and create new business opportunities, with significant impacts in the retail, gaming and entertainment sectors. Virtual worlds such as Decentraland offer spaces for commerce, entertainment and social interactions. The myth of convergence It is a unique system where different platforms merge into an integrated ecosystem. According to Castells (1996), through the digital, convergence takes place in a reticular mode. This media and social fusion, analysed by Jenkins (2006), reflects the integration between multimedia content, collective participation and collective intelligence. The metaverse, in Zuckerberg’s vision, embodies this union, following Stephenson’s cyberpunk narratives. Myth of the end of computer science history Bojic (2022) analyzing the video ad “The Metaverse and how we’ll build it together,” by Mark Zuckerberg, highlights how the CEO of Meta presents the metaverse as the ultimate evolution of the Internet, as a final computing platform, perpetuating the myth of linear and inevitable progress. Myth of cyborg heroism Explore the hybrid human-machine identity, exalting resilience and human adaptation through symbolic figures such as Neo in Matrix and Hiro Protagonist in Snow Crash. Cyborg becomes a symbol of the human ability to adapt to advanced technologies, challenging traditional dichotomies. Barile (2021) highlights how the cyber-hero hacker, initially represented as a symbol of freedom and technological innovation, is becoming a threat to security and privacy. Myth of technological adequacy Technology is represented as an automatic solution to social and environmental problems, often promoted with optimistic and abstract narratives. Such a representation for the metaverse may, according to Horppu and Närvänen (2024) influence the privacy of users and the surveillance that the virtual system can exercise on them. 6. Contributions to existing literature This thesis, compared to the existing literature, addresses the phenomenon with an interdisciplinary approach that expands and integrates previously fragmented perspectives. Firstly, the technical discourse is integrated with the social one, combining a mediological and sociotechnical approach. The study aims to include a culture of communication understood as a set of knowledge, symbols, languages and codes capable of influencing mentalities, interpretations and behaviors, both at individual and collective levels. One contribution lies in the extension of the look beyond the classic western border, including perspectives and narratives from different cultural contexts. The thesis organically defines the transformative context in which the metaverse is placed, putting it in relation to artificial intelligence and emphasizing fundamental concepts such as the new temporality and the real/virtual dichotomy. These concepts are detailed within the narratives analyzed, evaluating, beyond the simple utopian promises, especially the dystopian dimensions, often overlooked in the hegemonic discourse. In this way, the work lays the foundations for an alternative imaginary, also exploring ways of promoting and sharing the metaverse through the crucial role of communication and science fiction production. Critical analysis highlights how technological imaginary transmits cultural values and representations that are often idealized, creating self-explanatory promises that escape the possibility of being questioned. To achieve this, the concept of myth is introduced into metaverse analysis. It is used to characterize the narrative and symbolic elements of this virtual universe. The adoption of a mythical perspective does not intend to disprove the significance or relevance of the metaverse, but it highlights the functioning of sociotechnical imaginaries, especially when they contain idealistic views on technology, as in this case. The mythical character of the metaverse was used to reflect on its ability to transmit cultural values and promises automatically, opening spaces for conflicting readings and criticism that draw on disciplines and agents rarely involved in the dominant discourse regime. Finally, the set of myths analysed has been systematized in a coherent way, organizing the different levels of critical argumentation that have emerged on the metaverse since it took a leading position. This work provides an integrated structure combining contributions from previously unorganized authors and disciplines, thus giving literature a more defined picture of the theoretical, social and cultural issues raised by the metaverse. 7. Conclusions The proven positioning in the home space of most human activities through platforms such as smart working, social networks, e-commerce, online food ordering, distance education, virtual reality fitness, the unique system of access with digital identity to online services, can represent the humus for the advent of a virtual ecosystem, powered by emerging technologies such as 5G and immersive devices, able to connect the physical and digital world. The metaverse follows the path of digitalization, in a coevolutionary trajectory of human beings and machines, marked by periodic technological achievements and by the confidence we have placed in AI (Nowotny, 2021). The prevailing imagination on virtual worlds is based on the coveted “forms of life and social order” (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015), which the metaverse’s techno-scientific project can achieve. This sociotechnical imaginary reflects the wishes and hopes of several generations of techno-scientific elites and other decision makers. On the one hand, the metaverse is seen as a tool for solving global problems and improving education, health and work; on the other hand, it raises concerns about corporate control, privacy, social polarization and alienation. The metaverse, as the evolution of the Internet, will have a decisive impact on individuals and societies. In the current phase, this virtual world remains close to the dystopian reality described by Stephenson, dominated by an anarchic meta-capitalism, where power is largely managed by multinationals, with a supporting role of state institutions. Today, the role of the patriarchs of digital capitalism in shaping and dominating these new virtual worlds is strong, to which other institutional actors are trying to make a counterweight. In Snow Crash, the dimension of digital twin of each individual becomes utopian in contrast to a dystopian reality characterized by a lacerated social tissue, an absent State and uncontrolled private powers. In Ready Player One, a virtual world with utopian connotations is outlined, where people try to escape from the difficulties of the degradation of the real world. The metaverse has strong economic potential, with significant growth estimates by 2030. However, crucial questions remain on governance (centralised or decentralised), personal data protection and psychological and social impact. Narratives of the future produce sociotechnical imaginaries in which they are developed. In this context, the State can play a fundamental role: it possesses material and symbolic means to outline the future trajectories of our society, to build institutions that indicate the risks and potentialities inherent in them, require the commitment of the various social actors. An anthropocentric metaverse, as suggested by the direction taken by Europe, could offer a horizon of meaning, a heterotropic in which to explore new possibilities. It is therefore essential to develop community-based projects that promote long term political visions to ensure that the worlds of the metaverse can have a positive impact on democratic life and limit potential threats to democracy. 8. Limits and future research trajectories Global and Local Relationship One first limit that emerged was the difficulty of balancing the global dimension with the local. Although a global approach was inevitable, given the transnational scope of entertainment platforms and metaverse phenomena, the work did not fully explore specific cases involving local communities, e.g., Italy. Include concrete cases such as the use of the metaverse in the Hospital of Cagliari and museums, or the Eduverso in school, could offer a more articulated perspective. Such integration would allow a better analysis of how the territorial realities adapt and respond to the global dynamics of the metaverse, merging in a more organic way these two scales of analysis. Cyborg and infrastructure Other future research trajectories may concern the STS concepts of cyborg and of infrastructure. The cyborg conceptualized by Haraway (1991) sees human beings as part of a network of technological and social relations rather than as autonomous entities. In metaverse studies, the concept of cyborg is justified by the technologies that extend the human body’s capabilities, such as AR, VR or brain-computer interfaces. For example, avatar in the metaverse can be seen as cyborg extensions of our identity, since they merge the physical and the digital into new forms of representation. Infrastructure is not confined to a purely technical meaning (roads, electricity networks, computer systems, etc.), but is analyzed as a sociotechnical concept, that is, as a complex network linking people, practices, technologies and institutions. Geoffrey Bowker and Susan Leigh Star, two key STS researchers, describe the infrastructure as “invisible until it fails”. This means that infrastructures tend to go unnoticed, but are essential for the functioning of any social or technological system. For example, in the metaverse, infrastructures include technological platforms, network protocols, artificial intelligence algorithms and blockchain that make virtual worlds possible. Infrastructures are often built to be standardized, so that people and systems can be connected on a large scale. This is particularly relevant for the metaverse, where interoperability between platforms is considered a crucial challenge. In STS, standardisation is seen not only as a technical process but also as a political and social action which determines who can access certain resources and who is excluded from them. The STS point out that infrastructures are not neutral, but are shaped by political, economic and cultural decisions. Those who control an infrastructure (such as a metaverse platform) have the power to influence behaviour, access and participation. Humans in the metaverse, through integrated technologies and avatar, can be considered as active elements of a sociotechnical infrastructure. For example, user generated data (from biometric data to interactions and avatar movements) becomes an essential component of the metaverse infrastructure. When looking at the metaverse as a global infrastructure linking users, devices and technologies, it is necessary to ask who controls it, who benefits from it and who might be excluded. The fusion between human and technology in the metaverse prompts to reconsider the concept of identity, asking questions about authenticity, representation and agency in the virtual environment, topics that may include further lines of research within the framework of cyborg and infrastructure, as described below. Representation and identity As pointed out by Codeluppi (2018), the digital world evolves rapidly, creating integral simulacra, that is, virtual copies that possess their own authenticity independent of the physical world. These simulacra are no longer mere representations of reality, but exist independently, without the need for direct correspondence with the material world. In this new dimension, value is generated exclusively within the virtual world, leading us towards a future increasingly separated from traditional reality. In the metaverse, users can represent themselves in ways that challenge the social and physical constraints of real life. At the same time, virtual experiences can be designed to be highly immersive and convince users of their authenticity. This raises questions about who controls these narratives and what interests are behind them. The analysis of these aspects requires a critical approach that considers both opportunities for self-expression and risks associated with manipulation. Redefining the reality In the metaverse, what is real is increasingly determined by subjective experience: we can investigate the validity of digital experiences compared to physical ones. For example, can a virtual social interaction be considered less authentic than a physical one? Secondly, on the performativity of reality: in the metaverse, “data creates reality”. This implies that digital realities do not merely represent the physical world, but actively build it through digital interactions and narratives. Truth and manipulation Traditionally based on the correspondence between statements and facts, truth in the metaverse is complicated by the possibility of constructing and manipulating digital realities. One could then investigate the challenge to traditional truth: in the metaverse, what is perceived as true may depend on the internal coherence of a virtual narrative rather than on correspondence with the physical world. This could lead to the creation of parallel truths. The concept of truth could then be treated as coherence: the metaverse could promote an approach based on logical coherence between elements within the virtual system, making the concept of truth more fluid and contextual. Transhumanism and digital immortality The idea of the pouring of consciousness into an avatar that can continue to live after death raises ethical and existential questions. What happens to our influences in the metaverse after our death? Avatars, once created, could continue to exist as autonomous entities, redefining the concept of personal identity and digital heritage.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14242/223381
URN:NBN:IT:UNISTRADA-223381