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Title CYBERSPACES AND IDENTITY: A STUDY OF CYBERPSYCHOGEOGRAPHY IN THE SELECTED EURO-AMERICAN FICTION

Author(s) Saba Javed

Abstract With increasing integration of human experiences into digital environments, contemporary society has entered a state where cyberspaces influence individual identities and interpersonal relationships. This study examines two contemporary EuroAmerican novels, Meatsapce (2014) by Nikesh Shukla and Super Sad True Love Story (2010) by Gary Shteyngart, through the lens of cyberpsychogeography; a theoretical framework merging psychogeography and cyberspace studies. This study incorporates the key theoretical concept of cyberpsychogeography, a term coined by Mark Amerika, along with related concepts such as cyberflânerie and cyberdérive, drawn from the works of Amy J. Elias and Rosane Ganley. The research explores how the novels depict characters navigating virtual environments shaped by cyberspaces. By tracing characters’ digital movements and emotional responses across online terrains, the study demonstrates how cyberspaces disrupt spatial continuity and emotional stability, leading to fractured identities and superficial connections. The analysis also incorporates these theories to understand the emotional and cognitive impacts of navigating within cyberspaces on the characters’ identities and interpersonal relationships. The theoretical framework serves to map how digital pathways mimic urban wandering, making visible the often-invisible psychological effects of algorithmdriven interaction on human behavior and social bonds. The study reveals that cyberspaces, acting as extensions of urban psychogeography, create fragmented identities and strained interpersonal connections. Characters exhibit altered temporal experiences and fluid selfhoods, grappling with the pervasive influence of algorithmically mediated interactions. Both novels critique the overreliance on digital environments, exposing their role in distorting human connections and undermining authentic engagements. The research argues that while cyberspaces offer opportunities for self-expression and exploration, they simultaneously highlight the vulnerabilities of identity and relationships within a digitally mediated society. These findings open avenues for further research into the psychological and sociocultural consequences of digital urbanism in literature and real-life contexts.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

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Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2025-08-07

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