**5. Conclusion**

*Cyberspace*

someone culturally illiterate, only what seems to be interesting will be picked, namely, entertainment. We could see this aspect of structuring in thinking as negative. Positive aspect could be seen in rapid access to information and, under certain condition, also access to information offered by "collective intel-

Another structural change in thinking in communication in cyberspace occurs in net-based or hypertext-based source of information. We could describe this type of communication or information as rhizomorph. Eco [20] used this term to distinguish it from the previous, treelike (*arborescent*) thinking. A picture of tree, for example, in the Middle Ages thinking (*arbor porphyriana*), represented a neat structure of hierarchy-based and logical thinking, from the essence of being, all the way down to its peripheral symptoms. However, rhizomatic thinking is non-systematic, incomplete, and netlike and has no beginning and no end. Thus the Internet, based on its own technological and netlike (rhizomatic) structure, promotes "loop connections" and consequent disintegration of the so-called linear code. U. Eco explains that rhizome excuses and supports disharmony, because rhizome creates loop-like processes. Eco even says that "To think means, in rhizome, to advance blindly and rely only on assumptions." The Internet, characteristic for its hypertext, or perhaps rhizomatic connection of information, will not support abstract, linear, and logical thinking, which may constitute a threat for modern society. Spitzer [21] states that digital natives instead of thinking in hermeneutic circle (from fragments to the whole picture and the other way round) get only superficial information surfing on the Internet: "Digital natives do not go through this hermeneutic circle: they haphazardly click here and there and never return to a good source; they look only horizontally (do not dig deeper)." Višňovský [22] notices that there is a difference between printed information and online information. When we read online, we do

ligence," collective source of information, for example Wikipedia.

not read horizontally, line by line, but slide vertically along the text.

4.Identification. In communication on the Internet, there are two sorts of identifications: mental and physical connection with media that helps us get inside cyberspace or mental identification with content in cyberspace. The first type of identification constitutes mental or mentally physical cyborgism. It is currently possible to connect technology (artificial arm) to the nervous system and control it by thought. We can expect similar applications also in the field of information technology—for example, Google's Google Glass and later possibly electronic contact lenses. Some technologies may, in the future, be implemented also in the human body. This could bring its positives for some people who suffer from injuries after accidents and also provide immediate access to information. On the other hand, it could bring a fundamental dependence on technology and potential danger of abusing this technology to spy on people or control them.

At the present time, self-identification with content in cyberspace through social

groups, or avatars, is still more and more common. The effort to find one's place among a social group and be able to share one's knowledge and experiences may be taken as desirable. One can sometimes feel the need to live a better life in cyberspace, for example, in a videogame called Second life. This can induce therapeutic, liberating effects. People can feel a need to become somebody else in life and demonstrate this also in social life, as we can see, for example, in a videogame called cosplay (a portmanteau of the words costume play). In Japan, but now also in other counties in the Western world, cartoons and cartoon characters are idols for teenagers. Young people identify themselves with these characters, which manifest the most in their costumes. Sometimes this new identity is so strong that young people will not want

**22**

We have known communication in cyberspace, especially in the cyberspace Internet, for slightly over a generation span, and we can already say that it has significantly influenced our cultural and social life; it even initiated a new existential dimension. The Internet cyberspace is a medium through which we create our ideas, communicate, and learn. Basing on analysis of older types of media, for example, written word and printed word, we know that these managed to restructure human thinking and acting completely. This leads us to believe that something similar is happening, and will be happening, also in connection with the Internet cyberspace. Media, including the Internet, influence us simply because we use them. The mere fact that we are connected to the Internet and use it in our communication in cyberspace is all what it takes; how we use it is not so important. We call the first type of influence, which is the result of being connected to technology, formal influence. The second kind of influence, triggered by communicating certain content, is defined as content influence. In this article we tried to point out that formal type changes are more crucial and paradigmatical and even constitute a new anthropogenesis. We specifically studied changes in our ideas of time and space, structure of thinking, and identity in cyberspace. These changes do not manifest merely in communication in cyberspace but affect also our everyday life. This is the reason why it is necessary to know their scope, positives, and negatives. New communication technologies influence our mentality but also our physical body. The question is how much is just enough to refine our personality, knowledge, and freedom and how much is simply too much, so they will start dictating and conducting us. We therefore need to learn to trust media with reserve, be critical, and spend at least part of the time we have without the influence of media, especially away from the Internet cyberspace.
