Il dato come esperienza religiosa. Note sulla condizione spirituale delle società ipermoderne

The paper investigates the relationship between ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) and religion. The focus is not how religions and religious life has changed thanks to technological evolution, but rather how it is possible to interpret our relationship to technology as a kind of religious experience. The paper starts from the notion of “hypermodernity” and tries to offer a comprehensive theoretical frame in order to interpret the changes occurred in Western societies after the so-called “fourth revolution”. According to this frame, technology has had a pivotal role in the cultural changes that led to our present condition. ICTs are the source for a vast variety of shared beliefs, hopes and fears; they are at the core of the present world-view of Western societies. Starting from this interpretation, the paper offers a brief analysis of some myths connected to ICTs, and develops an attempt to understand their function in the social and cultural context.