THE REIFICATION AS A FACTOR OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES SUBJECTIVATION: XXI CENTURIES’ MAGIC

Abstract

The perception by people of their everyday satellites, assistants, and sources of disturbance factors that are electronic devices is discussed in the article. The presence of signs of animatism and magic actions in relation to devices is noted, the reasons for their preservation in the secularized society are highlighted, and the perspective of devices subjectivation is considered. Among the factors of the subjectivation, the contribution of engineers to the anthropomorphization of the user interaction with devices, as well as the influence of media on the “reputation” of gadgets, are distinguished. Based on the results of the modern media publications headlines content analysis, it is illustrated how the media influence the perception of gadgets by an ordinary user. «Grammatical» and «semantic» techniques, due to which the image of «subjectivity» of devices is created in news publications, are distinguished. A parallel is drawn between the mechanisms of the formation and preservation of the «cult of the dead» in society and the way the society attitudes towards «smart» devices. It is emphasized that the strength of the noted factors becomes essential, first of all, due to the phenomenon of reification. Since in the practices of everyday use of the device, the user does not think about the nature of the device itself, or about their interactions with it, the origins, reasons for these practices and ideas about the internal structure of the device are not tracked in any way, a foundation for the reification of gadgets is formed, which is already especially noticeable in the fact how children relate to the «smart» technologies around them. It is noted that at present the fact of such a pseudosubjectivity of electronic devices is not obvious and generally accepted in the mass consciousness, however, reification can lead to the institutionalization of electronic devices as subjects of the social world in the future. The perception by people of their everyday satellites, assistants, and sources of disturbance factors that are electronic devices is discussed in the article. The presence of signs of animatism and magic actions in relation to devices is noted, the reasons for their preservation in the secularized society are highlighted, and the perspective of devices subjectivation is considered. Among the factors of the subjectivation, the contribution of engineers to the anthropomorphization of the user interaction with devices, as well as the influence of media on the “reputation” of gadgets, are distinguished. However, by drawing a parallel with the mechanisms of formation and preservation of the «cult of the dead» in the society, it is emphasized that the strength of these factors acquires a significant character, primarily due to the phenomenon of reification.