University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Iranian Twitter users' dissatisfaction with the presence of Afghans in Iran; Case study: The Hashtag "#Expel_Afghans_a_National_Demand" 1 22 102393 10.22059/jcss.2025.394677.1144 EN Reihaneh Razmara Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Roghayeh Khosravi Department of Sociology & Social Planning, Faculty of Economics, Management & Social Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Journal Article 2025 05 04 Background: Afghans are the main group of migrants in Iran, and in recent years, their presence has been met with negative reactions from the Iranian public. For example, recently on Twitter, hashtags such as #Expel_Afghans_a_National_Demand (in Persian: #اخراج_افغانی_مطالبه_ملی) have been widely used by Iranian users. Aims: This study aims to examine Iranian users' perspectives on Afghans by analyzing tweets written with this hashtag about Afghans living in Iran. Methodology: Using thematic analysis, it investigates the negative views expressed by Iranian users. This analysis is based on Bennett’s six-stage model of intercultural sensitivity. The extracted themes from these tweets include five main categories: dissatisfaction with the lifestyle and behaviors of Afghans living in Iran, financial-related dissatisfaction, nationalism-related dissatisfaction, xenophobia-related dissatisfaction, and dissatisfaction due to internal factors. Finding: The dissatisfaction of Iranians toward Afghans aligns with the Defense stage of Bennett’s model, as this stage is characterized by individuals distinguishing between themselves and others, perceiving their own culture as superior, and viewing other cultures as inferior. Conclusion: Based on the themes present in the tweets, it seems that some targeted actions can help reduce xenophobia and counter dominant narratives.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_102393_3c90f3c7ed22eb650bb4ca6be8aef0c6.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Modelling procedure while assessing the impact of news articles on cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) market movement 23 42 102687 10.22059/jcss.2025.393177.1139 EN Maku T O Department of Statistics, Federal University, Otuoke, Nigeria Monday Osagie Adenomon Department of Statistics, Nasarawa State University, Kefi, Nigeria. Mary U Adehi Department of Statistics, Nasarawa State University, Kefi, Nigeria. Journal Article 2025 04 09 Background: Cryptocurrencies have a variety of unique qualities, from cutting-edge technology to highly secure architecture. Additionally, the ability to invest in cryptocurrency, as an asset or a function of its prosperity has made crypto-currencies attractive to venture capitalists, computer scientists, and statisticians. Aims: In this study, we concentrated on a collection of documents web-scrapped from the market section of CNBC, where each document is associated with a response variable. Methodology: These documents contain preprocessed words/terms of day-to-day reportage on cryptocurrency (Bitcoin). The corresponding response variables are the daily opening and closing price of Bitcoin prices. The Supervised Latent Dirichlet Allocation(sLDA), a statistical model of labeled documents, was used to analyze the textual data alongside their corresponding response variables, since our study aims to predict the response variable for unlabeled new documents. Results: Hidden Topics with their unique terms from the preprocessed articles were exposed through a Natural language processor. Mean absolute error (MAE), Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and Root mean square error (RMSE) graphs were constructed for the sLDA models with ‘k = 3,10,20,30,50,75,100 and 200 Topics’ values where the model with the best evaluation metric, was selected for prediction purpose. Conclusion: It was discovered that the sLDA model with k = 20. A posterior covariance matrix which shows the proportion of terms from the documents, making up a Topic. Coefficient values were generated in other to graphically visualize how important the discovered topics are and how they affect the market trend. Finally, the prediction of new labels (numeric-decoded closing prices) for the unlabeled documents was done and comparisons were made; the predicted labels follow a similar pattern to that of the time series closing price trend.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_102687_29bfce847dba6472b11d18da79be940b.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Pink or Green? Evaluating gendered color differences in cyberspace multi-level marketing advertisements 43 60 102718 10.22059/jcss.2025.396344.1170 EN Elizabeth Zak Department of Computer Science, Carthage College, Wisconsin, USA. 0000-0003-0021-0027 Journal Article 2025 05 31 Background: Economic misinformation may result in people making poor financial choices. Multi-level marketing organizations often target women as potential salespeople. The majority of multi-level marketing organizations are predatory. Oftentimes, their online promotion effectively reaches people. Aims: In order to better identify the differences in color used in online advertisements for multi-level marketing organizations, I chose to explore whether health multi-level marketing organization advertisements had colors that corresponded with traditional gender norms or traditional health advertisements. Methodology: I obtained and analyzed exclusively online advertisements for multi-level marketing organizations. I found that there was indeed a difference in both color and brightness between organizations that targeted men and organizations that targeted women. Results: Health multi-level marketing organizations pose a unique danger. Specifically, they promote both economic and health misinformation. Not only do these organizations recruit people to sell products using spurious techniques, but in many cases, these products may be directly harmful to consumers’ health. As a result, more insight into detecting a health multi-level marketing advertisement is necessary. Conclusion: Color is a major element in advertisements. Specifically, distinct colors may be used in advertisements that target different genders. Understanding the differences in multi-level marketing advertisement colors is important: if consumers can identify which organizations are multi-level marketing companies, they will distrust the advertisements.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_102718_df945c4b4755a8bd8edd5b8ce781571b.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 An Arctic Puffin Optimization with SCA approach, enhanced by a random neural network model for detecting attacks on the Internet of Things 61 80 103726 10.22059/jcss.2025.395014.1146 EN Mohamad Arefi Department of Computer Engineering, ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Parisa Rahmani Department of Computer Engineering, Par.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Hamid Shokrzadeh Department of Computer Engineering, Par.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 05 10 Background: Network security and penetration pose a significant challenge in the extensive IoT research of recent years. System security and user privacy demand security solutions that are carefully planned and diligently maintained. Aims: This paper introduces a novel three-stage hybrid IDS, IoT-APOSCA, leveraging machine learning and meta-heuristics for attack detection; stages include pre-processing, feature selection, and attack detection. The pre-processing steps are: cleaning, visualization, feature engineering, and vectorization. Methodology: Networks use Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) to monitor and detect malicious activities as a key security feature. The Arctic Puffin Optimization (APO) and Sine-Cosine Algorithm (SCA) are used in the feature selection stage, while a changed Random Neural Network (RNN) is employed in the attack detection stage. Results: The proposed technique is assessed using the DS2OS dataset, and the outcomes show that the approach, integrating multiple learning models, led to an accuracy enhancement to 99.66%. Also, the values Recall and False Alarm Rate obtained are equal to 0.9926 and 0.003, respectively. Conclusion: Intrusion detection system efficacy is directly tied to the quality of its classification method. Enhanced neural network performance is achievable through adjustments to parameters, such as network weights.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_103726_c7c6b2d147b42ad89ebe63e590bbf17c.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 The construction of spectacular religious-political rituals in Iran; A critical study 81 108 102843 10.22059/jcss.2025.395162.1147 EN Ali Momeni Department of Social Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Abdollah Bicharanlou Department of Social Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 05 12 Background: Following the Islamic Revolution and the expansion of access to visual media, the use of this media in Shia rituals, such as religious gatherings (hey’ats), significantly increased. In recent years, a new form of Shia ritual, referred to as “public communities”, has emerged which organized by cultural institutions. These communities differ markedly from traditional Shia-Iranian rituals and have established a distinct communicative domain. Aims: This study aims to critically examine these events by identifying their constitutive components and analyzing the nature of their mediatization. Methodology: Three events held in the Iranian calendar year 1401 were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. These Shia-revolutionary performative rituals are categorized into two main domains: the “Public construction of the ritual” and the “construction of the presence and positioning of the subject”. Their media representation is also shaped by two principal categories: the “transitionalization of the communication mode” and “ideological representation”. Findings: Our findings indicate that the organization and media representation of these events produce a spectacular pseudo-ritual that significantly diverges from traditional Shia rituals in Iran. Conclusion: These events have been organized and represented in ways that prioritize spectacle, visibility, and media populism, thus enabling a transformation in ritual structures and indicating a growing tendency toward mediatization in Iran.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_102843_bdf595aeb7a02279ee30276d2578216b.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Between exploitation and resilience: Reconciling AI’s role in surveillance capitalism and disaster risk management 109 139 102844 10.22059/jcss.2025.396045.1165 EN Mohammad Sharif Sharifi Poor Bgheshmi Department of Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Azad University, Qeshm, Iran. Mahsa Sharajsharifi Department of Architectural Engineering, Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Iran. Mohammad Reza Saeidabadi Department of European Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 05 27 Background: This study explores the paradoxical role of artificial intelligence as both a tool of exploitation within surveillance capitalism and a force for resilience in disaster risk management, highlighting the ethical and governance challenges that arise at the intersection of these domains. Aims: This article aims to enable the ethical use of AI in DRM while insulating public systems from the structural harms of commercial data exploitation. Methodology: Drawing from a comparative qualitative analysis of 35 academic sources, the study investigates how BigTech corporations and data brokers leverage AI to commodify personal data, consolidate informational power, and erode democratic agency. Results: The present study critically examines the dual role of artificial intelligence in contemporary digital society, contrasting its exploitative deployment within surveillance capitalism with its constructive use in disaster risk management (DRM). Simultaneously, it highlights a parallel body of research showcasing AI’s capacity to enhance early warning systems, situational awareness, and post-disaster recovery, especially in resource-constrained and climate-vulnerable regions. Conclusion: To reconcile these conflicting trajectories, the article proposes the Public AI for Resilience (PAIR) framework—a governance model grounded in data sovereignty, public infrastructure, algorithmic explainability, and cross-sectoral collaboration. Ultimately, the article argues for a normative recalibration of AI governance that prioritizes equity, transparency, and collective resilience over market imperatives, demonstrating that AI’s public good potential can be realized without surrendering to surveillance-based capitalism.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_102844_ba35ca09800a98ddd6653f69669a8426.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Responsible cyberspace engagement: Towards Omolúàbí ethos for Nigerian youth 141 157 104946 10.22059/jcss.2025.403070.1181 EN Ridwan Ishola Mogaji Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Rotimi Omosulu Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica. 0000-0002-2591-5181 Journal Article 2025 09 25 Background: Cyberspace is understood in this paper as a place for possible moral and immoral conducts, just as it is the case with physical societies across the world. However, the Nigerian cyberspace has, in recent times, experienced increase in moral decadence, with young people engaging in acts of vices, including disrespect, fraud, and phishing among other cybercrimes. This set of behaviours negates the values expected of a well-ordered and well-meaning cyberspace, all of which threaten physical societal cohesion and ethical standards. Aims: This paper examines Omolúàbí ethos, a traditional embodiment of moral principle of the Yoruba people, as a remedial framework. The Omolúàbí ethos places virtues such as good character, respectful conduct, gentleness, honesty, trust, humanness, among others, as a necessity for building a responsible society, even in the cyberspace. Methodology: Being philosophical research, the paper adopts qualitative method to unpack the relevance of ancient Yoruba proverbs and ethical practices to contemporary online engagement. Findings: The paper argues that if the Omolúàbí ethos is imbued into cyberspace culture, through the medium of philosophical counseling in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency, it could help ensure a more suitable online environment where respect, dignity, and virtue are paramount. Conclusion: This paper contributes to scholarship by positioning an indigenous ethical framework for addressing contemporary cyberspace’s ethical challenges.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_104946_bab9db64249145cf68b946847337b3ad.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Exploring responses to cybercrime in South Africa: The South African Police Services (SAPS) perspectives 159 179 102846 10.22059/jcss.2025.395262.1149 EN Slindile Ngcece Department of Humanities, School of Applied Human Sciences, University of Kwa Zulu Natal, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Sazelo Mkhize Department of Criminology and Security Science, School of Criminal Justice College of Law, The University of South Africa (UnISA), Pretoria, South Africa. Khanyisile B Majola Department of Criminology and Security Science, School of Criminal Justice College of Law, The University of South Africa (UnISA), Pretoria, South Africa. Journal Article 2025 05 13 Background: The rapid development of technology and computing has significantly impacted modern societies, leading to increased opportunities for wealth creation and, inversely, transactional offending. Cybercrimes are increasing and have become a major threat to nations, governments, businesses, and individuals, resulting in financial losses, reputational damage, and personal information data breaches. Aims: This study explores how the South African Police Service (SAPS) responds to and combats cybercrimes. Methodology: This research was conducted in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The study adopted the qualitative research approach and the phenomenological research design, according to which interpretive and constructivist qualitative research paradigms were deemed appropriate. Data was collected through in-depth interviews using semi-structured interviews, with a sample of 17 participants purposively drawn from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) and the Commercial Crimes Unit (CCI) of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The theoretical orientation that guided the study is the Structural Functionalism Theory. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: The study revealed that South Africa has been experiencing an increase in cybercrimes. However, has introduced laws and security strategies, such as the Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Bill of 2017, to respond to cybercrimes. However, these are argued to be not adapting fast enough to the constantly changing technological environment. Conclusion: Although limited, there are Police forensic experts in the field who can respond to cybercrimes. The study emphasizes the need for collaboration among all stakeholders, including prosecutors, the judiciary, private security agencies, CSPs, and ISPs, to effectively tackle cybercrimes.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_102846_9e5a6ac674cff88827743681b4d28369.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Artificial intelligence and crime detection: A critical review 181 197 103771 10.22059/jcss.2025.402206.1179 EN Karim Salehi Department of Law, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran. Simin Habib Zadeh Khiyaban Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Accounting and Management, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran. Shoaib Sabbar Department of International Commercial Law, Faculty of Law, Azad University, Tehran. Iran. Journal Article 2025 09 13 Background: Since the advent of modern policing, technological innovations in communication and information management have significantly shaped investigative practices and crime detection strategies. Aims: The current research study explores the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence in modern crime detection and prevention across diverse domains including cybercrime, environmental crime, financial fraud, and urban surveillance. Methodology: Employing a qualitative meta-synthesis methodology, the research critically examines peer-reviewed literature published between the years 2015 and 2025 to identify emerging trends, technological innovations, and socio-legal implications associated with AI-driven policing. Findings: The key findings highlight the integration of machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing techniques into the predictive and real-time law enforcement systems. These technologies have demonstrably enhanced the accuracy, efficiency, and responsiveness of crime prevention strategies. However, the current study also reveals significant challenges, including algorithmic bias, lack of transparency, and inadequate regulatory oversight, particularly in socially stratified or underregulated contexts. Conclusion: The current article underscores the necessity of embedding explainability, accountability, and human oversight into Artificial Intelligence systems to ensure the ethical and equitable implementation of AI-driven policing systems.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_103771_8c7b282eaf258cc0913f4ab0f943705f.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Individual variability and threshold dynamics in distance estimation: A statistical analysis of visual perception in built environments 199 209 103773 10.22059/jcss.2025.391801.1134 EN Mojtaba Pourbakht Department of Environmental and Urban Engineering, Kansai University, Osaca, Japan. Yoshihiro Kametani Department of Environmental and Urban Engineering, Kansai University, Osaca, Japan. Journal Article 2025 03 09 Background: Understanding how humans perceive and estimate distances in built environments is critical not only for advancing perceptual psychology but also for informing the design of computational models in computer vision, robotics, and architectural design. Aims: This study investigates the mechanisms and limitations of human distance estimation within a controlled architectural environment. Methodology: While some previous experiments focused on estimating distances in virtual settings, the current study examines real-world estimation accuracy across a series of predefined points within an unobstructed corridor. Participants were asked to visually estimate the distance between their position and seven distinct target locations, ranging from near to far without the aid of physical reference cues. The core objective was not simply to measure accuracy, but to identify the perceptual threshold beyond which estimation errors significantly increase. A one-way ANOVA model was employed to assess the influence of variables such as actual distance and participant age on perceptual accuracy. Results: Results revealed a consistent estimation performance up to approximately 2 m, beyond which the margin of error grew increasingly pronounced. Notably, a critical threshold was identified at 7.476 m, where estimation errors sharply escalated. The maximum observed discrepancy occurred at a distance of 10.186 m, suggesting a cognitive boundary in spatial awareness. Conclusion: These findings contribute to the understanding of visual-spatial perception mechanisms and offer theoretical insights relevant to applications in robotics, image processing, virtual reality, and navigation system design.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_103773_2551cec8e20fe2c948549a72ceead686.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Effects of users' social identity on intention to purchase a brand: The mediating roles of social media use, eWOM and brand loyalty 211 238 105067 10.22059/jcss.2025.403217.1184 EN Mohammad Reza Jalilvand Department of Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 09 28 Background: Social identity theory suggests that individuals define themselves partly through their membership in social groups, and these identities shape attitudes and behaviors, including consumption choices. Brands increasingly function as social symbols, allowing users to express group belonging, self-concept, and shared values through brand affiliation. Consequently, users’ social identities can significantly influence their intention to purchase a brand by strengthening emotional attachment, perceived congruence, and loyalty toward brands that represent their in-group. Aims: Consumers like to associate themselves with different brands to represent their social identity. This study suggests a social identity perspective of customer-brand relationship and integrates brand identity with social media usage, electronic WOM (eWOM) and brand loyalty in predicting brand purchase intention in an online environment. Methodology: Data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of higher education students in a public university in Iran. A sample of 423 respondents was selected through a convenience sampling technique. Data were then analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to provide a prediction-oriented model assessment by LISREL 8.54. Sobel mediation tests were performed to test the mediating effects of social media use, eWOM and brand loyalty on the relationship between social identity and brand purchase intention. Findings: The findings indicated that social identity (affective, cognitive, and evaluative) of users/consumers has a significant impact on: (a) social media use, (b) eWOM about brand, and (c) brand loyalty. Social media use and brand loyalty were found to be the determinants of eWOM about brand. Finally, this research found that all three variables of: (a) social media use, (b) eWOM about brand, and (c) brand loyalty are the main determinants of intention to purchase a certain brand. Conclusion: This research suggests that social identity perspective can be integrated with other perspectives to model the consumer's psychological path to brand purchase intentions. This study confirms the critical role of social identification of users in the reaction towards a given brand and stresses the mediation effects of social media use, brand loyalty and eWOM on the effects of social identity on the path to brand purchase intention.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_105067_a210167e6f6946490d50ce8e958d9fcc.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Children, consent, and control in Persian social media 239 256 105098 10.22059/jcss.2025.406842.1207 EN Shaho Sabbar Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 11 23 Background: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X have redefined the norms of sociality, identity performance, and participation in the public sphere. Aims: This study examines how Persian-language users on X negotiate the visibility of children in online spaces through affective discourse and vernacular governance. Methodology: Analyzing 2,392 posts, we identify seven thematic formations—ranging from family blogging and sharenting to screenshot-based mockery, celebrity child cultures, and rights-based critiques. Using a hybrid methodological approach combining high-recall data retrieval, supervised multi-label topic modeling, and sentiment–intensity analysis, we map how practices like quote-tweeting and screenshotting structure public debates around parental branding, childhood agency, privacy, and consent. Central to this ecosystem is the culturally specific figure of “Arat’s father”, a discursive shorthand for the commodification of childhood under platform economies. Findings: The findings reveal a layered affective landscape where humor, outrage, and pedagogical neutrality coexist, enabling users to police age norms and negotiate ethical boundaries in real time. Conclusion: This study reveals how ordinary users in Iran and Persian-speaking contexts regulate childhood visibility through platform affordances, emotional repertoires, and normative claims. It also proposes a reproducible pipeline for analyzing culturally specific digital publics with methodological transparency and ethical sensitivity.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_105098_e7ac059e7b580dbfb44acb985975bddd.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 The engagement of Hawzeh media with Artificial Intelligence as a modern technology 257 279 105042 10.22059/jcss.2025.406840.1206 EN Zohreh Alikhani Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Hanieh Malekmohammadi Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Farzad Gholami Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 11 23 Background: Background: In Iran, following the introduction of modern technologies, various social groups have responded to them, among whom “Tolab” constitute one category. Due to their religious authority within Iranian society, seminarians exert both direct and indirect influence on people’s social lives. Aims: This study aims to explore how Hawzeh members engage with artificial intelligence (AI) as a manifestation of modern technology, by examining Hawzeh media such as journals and news agencies, and to explain its relationship with modernity and technological application approaches. Methodology: 122 texts from Hawzeh media over a two-year period were selected and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ultimately, three main categories were identified: “Understanding the Nature of Artificial Intelligence among Hawzeh Members”, “The Relationship between Power and Artificial Intelligence among Hawzeh Members”, and “The Operational Attention of the Hawzeh to Artificial Intelligence”. Findings: Hawzeh media perceive AI as having a variable nature, which can be utilized depending on the intention, design, and use by its users. Conclusion: The experience of the People of the Hawzeh with AI demonstrates that the systematic form of religion can also be integrated with technology as a product of modern science, because it is not entirely anti-modern, nor is it modern and subjective in the sense of defining its existence solely as a specific mode of being.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_105042_fd510a1a6f26322b5b6ae749fd4f9f57.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Performing the empowered self: Pseudoscience, individualism, and the Iranian self-development microcelebrities 281 301 105118 10.22059/jcss.2025.406607.1204 EN Mohammadreza Gharghani Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Ehsan Shahghasemi Department of Social Communication Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 11 19 Background: Self-development microcelebrities constitute a distinct and rapidly expanding subtype within the broader culture of fame. These figures primarily operate within the digital self-help domain, offering audiences simplified psychological and lifestyle concepts that promise personal transformation through adherence to their guidance. Contemporary self-help discourse is rooted in the positive psychology movement that gained traction in the United States during the late 20th century and is heavily influenced by neoliberal ideologies that emphasize individual agency and responsibility. Aims: In this research, Instagram pages of Iranian self-development microcelebrities were studied to understand what they share with their audience and the various methods they employ to engage with them. Methodology: This study analyzes the Instagram accounts of Iranian self-development microcelebrities with follower counts exceeding 300,000, using a thematic analysis approach. Initially, each account was analyzed individually, followed by a cross-case analysis to identify recurring thematic patterns. Findings: The analysis revealed three overarching themes—pseudoscience, the primacy of luck and the inner self, and self-made rules—comprising seven organizing themes and 31 basic themes. The findings indicate that these microcelebrities promote a form of hyper-individualism aligned with neoliberal values. Conclusion: This model of subjectivity emphasizes psychological self-regulation and inner transformation while detaching individuals from social and political engagement.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_105118_8307c5f297e8d410061cdd12c241622e.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Cyber-acculturation through social media exposure: A Q methodology and network analysis 303 333 105006 10.22059/jcss.2025.403148.1182 EN Sholeh Meraji Oskouie Department of Cultural Affairs Management and Media Management, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Kamran Mohamadkhani Department of Higher Education Administration, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Soltanifar Department of Communication Sciences and Knowledge Studies, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2025 09 26 Background: Social media has enabled both intentional and incidental user exposure to diverse cultures and subcultures. This exposure fosters the socialization of similar cultural elements or produces changes in original cultural patterns through cyber-acculturation, which arises from continuous contact with culturally distinct groups. Aims: This study aimed to develop models of social media users’ cyber-acculturation in their exposure to cyber-subcultures. Methodology: Using a Q methodology research design, the study employed convenience snowball sampling and an online questionnaire to collect data from 52 participants, who freely rated 61 statements derived from interviews. Exploratory Factor Analysis, treating participants as variables, was conducted to identify distinct cyber-acculturation models. To further examine the characteristics of each factor, network analysis was applied. Discussions: Users demonstrated varying patterns of cyber-acculturation. Comparable to the model proposed by Sam and Berry (2006)— which outlines the strategies of assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization— this study identified five distinct models of social media users’ acculturation in exposure to cyber-subcultures: 1) Conservative Socialization Adopters, 2) Media-Literate Non-Adopters, 3) Media-Literate Acculturation Adopters, 4) Change-Aspirant Semi Non-Adopters, and 5) Risk-Taking Socialization Adopters. Each of these categories, to some extent, reflects the integration strategy, particularly motivated by social mobility, self-actualization, well-being, and personal advancement. Conclusion: Understanding the variations in how users adopt cultural elements enables governance bodies, policymakers, and professionals in media, culture, and education to design and implement more effective measures with greater impact across different user types.

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_105006_bab5e5d6a60e8d94db1667eece14ba45.pdf

University of Tehran on behalf of the "Cyberspace Research Policy Center" and the "UNESCO Chair on Cyberspace and Culture: Dual Spacization of the World" Journal of Cyberspace Studies 2588-5499 10 1 2026 01 01 Book review: The Discursive-Digital Link: Antagonism and Polarisation in Digital Spaces by Ehsan Dehghan 335 339 104718 10.22059/jcss.2025.406177.1196 EN Mohsen Goudarzi Social Sciences Department, Literature and Humanities Faculty, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Journal Article 2025 11 13 Aurhor: Ehsan Dehghan Title: The Discursive-Digital Link: Antagonism and Polarisation in Digital Spaces Year of Published: August 2025 352pp In English ISBN: 9781032487274 Publisher: New York: Routledge

https://jcss.ut.ac.ir/article_104718_75315c0760a2a1b745275fd27ad6185e.pdf