ABSTRACT The advancement of technology, the expansion of global networks, and the shift from print media to digital and social media have brought in a drastic change to human lifestyle. With the shrinking of the world because of the advancement of technology, identities get mutated and transformed according to the need. The development of modern societies denotes how the “self” has become a “reflexive project” where individuals construct identities mediated by symbolic materials. It is through the culture of media that people forge their identities by shaping their political views and social behavior. As such, this article is an attempt to analyze how the pandemic has brought a “new normal” to our lives. With months of lockdown, changing work spaces, education, lifestyle- habits, and priorities, each one of us has shifted to a visually imagined community, which not only marks a paradigmatic shift from the print culture to a new era of visual culture, but also reshapes the socio-cultural imagination dominated by media and visual images. Furthermore, delving in the question of surveillance, this article highlighting the Indian context, also aims to evaluate the functioning of a multicultural liberal state, and its constant struggle with the politics of power and identity.

中文翻译：

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重新想象的社区：大流行、媒体和国家

摘要：技术的进步、全球网络的扩张以及从印刷媒体到数字和社交媒体的转变，给人类的生活方式带来了巨大的变化。随着科技的进步，世界在缩小，身份会根据需要发生变异和转变。现代社会的发展表明“自我”如何成为一个“反思项目”，个人在其中构建由象征材料介导的身份。正是通过媒体文化，人们通过塑造自己的政治观点和社会行为来塑造自己的身份。因此，本文试图分析大流行如何为我们的生活带来“新常态”。随着数月的封锁、不断变化的工作空间、教育、生活习惯和优先事项，我们每个人都转向了一个视觉想象的社区，这不仅标志着从印刷文化向视觉文化新时代的范式转变，也重塑了以媒体和视觉图像为主导的社会文化想象。此外，深入研究监视问题，这篇文章突出了印度的背景，还旨在评估一个多元文化自由国家的运作，以及它与权力和身份政治的持续斗争。