ICSA IX. World Congress on: Social Media & Intimacy: An Alternative Reality?

Suggested Themes:
Indications are that social media contribute to the infantilization of the human race.  The floating of a “Trump baby” balloon over London is an entertaining parody not only of a “twitter presidency” but of a much deeper social malaise.  Internet connectivity appears to fill a primordial human desire for sociality, personal relationships, and social acceptance.  The quandary posed by social media is two-fold: On one hand, the immediacy of electronic connectivity mimics social acceptance. On the other hand, the impersonality of electronic media fosters an artificial, phantasmagorical “alternative reality” conducive to acting out childish desires, day-dreaming, and puerile fantasies.  Youth are especially susceptible to the lure of social media.  The question arises: Can social media be tamed to encourage healthy social relationships and foster personal growth and maturity rather than contribute to mental health issues and personality disorders?  The thrall of utopia of instant communication and connectivity needs to be tethered to reality rather than a make-believe universe of primordial desires which may devolve into dystopia.  Karl Gustav Jung, more than Sigmund Freud, may offer guideposts for greater social felicity and personal fulfillment, redeeming the subconscious by opening vistas toward a transcendent grounding of Reality.  In the final analysis, Internet connectivity may be a substitute for religion.  While traditional religion offers to connect the believer with a transcendent deity, the Internet seems to bind one only to machines while promising intimacy. Quo vadis?

SOCIAL MEDIA & INTIMACY  2020  CONGRESS  GUIDELINES:
SOCIAL MEDIA & INTIMACY 2020 endeavors to bring together scholars from a wide range of disciplines and denominations for an exciting international conference that takes both scholarship and faith seriously.  Congress Venue: ICSA IX 2020 is co-sponsored by IIR-ICSA-JIS in the City of the Roses–the world-famous Tournament of Roses–in sunny Southern California, with many cultural/sightseeing opportunities.  Send Abstracts (250 words) to: Dr. O. Gruenwald, JIS Editor, 1065 Pine Bluff Dr., Pasadena, CA 91107, USA, per e-mail (no attachments) by: January 30, 2020 to: info@jis3.org

Include: Paper Title, First & Last Name, faculty or student, mailing address, phone & e-mail.  Publication: Fully-developed papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies XXXIII 2021. Bonus: All attendees will receive a complimentary JIS copy.  Congress Web:  https://www.jis3.org/icsaix2020.  Registration: Symposium participants must preregister: $100 by 15 February 2020; $125 after 15 February 2020; $150 after 15 March 2020.  Please note that there are no travel grants: participants (or their institutions) are expected to pay all expenses, including a modest registration fee (non-refundable, but tax-deductible).  For less expensive lodging, contact: www.visitpasadena.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA & INTIMACY  2020  CONGRESS  STRUCTURE:
Check-In: Thursday, July 30, 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Hilton Pasadena. Reception: Thursday, July 30, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Main Symposium Program: Friday-Saturday, July 31-August 1, 8:45 AM – 6:00 PM; Keynote: Friday, July 31.  Format: Multidisciplinary panels and papers. Participants are encouraged to attend the entire conference to enhance dialogue, synergy, and synthesis, as well as fellowship. Presenting a paper is not a prerequisite for participation. Indicate if you prefer to serve as discussant. Family members enjoy the reduced student registration rate. Audio-Visual Equipment: Bring laptop or flash drive if desired for PowerPoint presentation. Cultural/Ecclesial/Sightseeing: Before or after the conference. Optional Field Trips: Huntington Library & Gardens, Norton Simon Museum, JPL.

TRAVEL  AND  ACCOMMODATIONS:
Lodging: We recommend that conference participants make their hotel and airline reservations as soon as possible. Hilton Pasadena Reservations: 1-800-445-8667; 1-626-577-1000.  Cultural/sightseeing/travel/accommodations: Contact Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau: www.visitpasadena.com; 1-800-307-7977 or 1-626-795-9311. Bring an alarm clock and a sweater or jacket for cooler mornings and evenings. Ground Transportation: Hilton Pasadena (168 S. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101) may be reached from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) via shuttles, e.g., Super Shuttle (shared ride $32): 1-800-258-3826, or rent-a-car (ca. 45 minute drive).