The identity of the individual in modern society is closely tied to daily internet use. This is reflected in increasingly greater individualization and withdrawal from traditional communities. Since the introduction of information communication technologies individuals have the option to join different virtual communities based on their interests which foster primarily the aspect of freedom. The thesis focuses on the example of the 9GAG Portal, a platform for sharing entertainment content, where humour is often expressed through discrimination, stereotyping and mocking of certain social minorities. Its creators assure that the 9GAG Portal is designed to foster multiculturalism, but in order to understand the context of the posts, knowing the symbolism of the western collective culture is still the most crucial part. The main conceptual question of the thesis relates to the concept of 9GAG as a virtual community and to the building of collective awareness among users. The theoretical part is supported by a quantitative questionnaire carried out among the 9GAG Portal users and the analysis of the posts on the portal, which are used to determine how collective awareness is created on the portal and which are the common interests of the users. The issue of conformity is also emphasized as it can affect the individual’s understanding of social phenomena.
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