Virtual Social Networks and Ethnicity; Opportunities and Threats Ahead

The rise of modern technologies, particularly the Internet and its social networks, has fundamentally transformed human interactions today. Using qualitative content analysis, the present research identifies ethnic groups’ various activities in social networks and examines the opportunities and threats posed to national identity and security by these networks. Data were gathered through interviews with 20 individuals having expertise on ethnicity and media.Research findings indicate that ethnic group’s users, by their presence in social networks, could both affect other users and be affected by the networks; a dominant democratic atmosphere in social networks as well as democratic behaviors being valued in these networks have either moderated the extremist groups’ radical ideas or marginalized them. Creating an interactive environment and dialogue among ethnic groups, providing the ground for mutual recognition as well as understanding the cultural differences are some of the most important opportunities brought about by virtual social networks regarding ethnicity.