هویت ملی، هویت قومی و فضای مجازی

Currently, virtual space has become part of the daily life of more than 67 million Iranian users and affects the social phenomena. This study evaluates the impact of virtual space on the national identity and ethnic identity of Iranian users. Methodologically, this research is a review and theoretical study. Also, the collaborative observation method on Instagram was used to collect data. The results of the review study of 68 articles and 15 theses show that cyberspace weakens national identity and strengthens ethnic identity. The results of the review study were theoretically analyzed based on Simmel's theory of "group expansion and development of individuality". Simmel considers the desire for distinction and the need to belong to a social group as a "dual drive" that is found in the existence of every person (Simmel, 2012: 415). Simmel (2012) writes:
"we can talk about a certain amount of the desire for individuality and the desire to be non-differentiation in the mind of every person, this amount is determined by personal, historical and social conditions, and remains constant" (Simmel, 2012: 414). Also, Simmel says "Individuality in existence and action generally increases to the extent that the social circle expands to include the individual" (Simmel, 2012: 406). He further argues that the larger circle encourages individual freedom, while the smaller circle restricts it (Simmel, 2012: 426).
Based on this Simmel's theory, we have deduced four propositions as follows and we have based our reasoning on these propositions.

In the mind of every person, there is a certain amount of the desire for individuality and the desire to belong to a social group, which is determined by personal, historical and social conditions.
Social phenomena appear in such a way that they balance us in duality of the desire for individuality and the desire for non-differentiation.
Individual freedom depends on the expansion of the social circle that includes the individual.
And more importantly, there is a difference between the development of individuality mentally, and what can be done.

The results of the theoretical analysis show that in the age of pervasive media, the development of individuality "mentally" has reached its maximum growth, in which complete freedom of individuality becomes possible. Naturally, social circles - family, ethnicity and nation - must accept the distinction of their members in order to exist. The results of the review show that Iranian ethnic groups ,,who feel in the process of nationalization by the national media are marginalized,, use social media as an alternative to express their ethnic identity. Also, inconsistent with the results of this review study, the results of participatory observation show that Iranian users in their virtual everyday lives on Instagram construct elements of national identity in the virtual space that are dimmed in the national media. Based on this, it seems that in the era of pervasive media, the concept of national identity needs to be redefined.