NEW RELIGION (2023)
An ordinary Ukrainian village, located deep in the countryside, is transforming into a place where social media remains an unusual phenomenon. It all started with the introduction of internet access and smartphones in rural areas.
Initially, there were only a few individuals who started using social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to connect with the world. Soon it spread to other villagers who felt it was the only way to find new friends and see what was happening in the world.
Over time, social media became not just a means of communication, but something more. People in the village began to spend more and more time online, paying great attention to creating their profiles and receiving likes and comments. For many, it has become a religious experience, like a prayer that gives them a sense of importance and acceptance.
The village began to change. No one wanted to be locked into traditional values and rituals anymore. Instead of a church or a temple, the villagers gathered at a special meeting to discuss their social media and share their achievements. Likes and followers became the new measures of success and preference.
This phenomenon of social media as a religion spread so quickly that it became a major aspect of the villagers' lives. They could no longer imagine their lives without logging in to social media on a daily basis, without viewing their feeds and interacting with other users.
Thus, social media has become a new form of religious belief in this Ukrainian village. They have become the basis for communication, searching for meaning and defining values in the lives of these residents.