ABSTRACT
Digital media is consumed by using devices such as computers, smartphones or tablets to access anything that requires opening a web-based operating system or application. This includes, but is not limited to, emails and text messages, social media and streaming platforms, and news, shopping, and dating sites. This relatively new form of media has changed the way information is produced, consumed, and shared. These and other technological advancements have revolutionised media at lightning speed and impacted most, if not all, systems around the world, including social, business, educational, health, and political systems. Digital media has impacted the global Zoroastrian community as it has brought spatially and ideologically disparate communities together. The largest survey of the global Zoroastrian community – Gen Z and Beyond: A Survey for Every Generation – was conducted entirely online. Furthermore, there has been a proliferation of spaces for interaction, such as chat forums and social media, used for fun and friendship, as well as discussion of contentious topics. While there are benefits of belonging to a mediated community (similar to those of belonging to a physical community), it is prudent to ask whether digital media is the most suitable way to discuss complex matters. This chapter assesses whether increased communication within the Zoroastrian community enhances understanding and encourages togetherness or whether it underlines the divisions already manifest within the community.
