Far from God, Far from Faith: a Netnographic Study on Atheism Phenomena in Italy

In recent years, the percentage of people, especially adolescents and young adults, identifying themselves as atheists has grown considerably. Atheism refers to a philosophy of thought and a way of life that excludes, or in some cases denies, the existence of a divine entity, a supernatural being, and/or a superhuman being. The interest in studying religious phenomena, the processes of choosing a specific belief, the function of religiosity in society, throughout history and across different cultures, has always fascinated the humanities, particularly sociology. The sociology of religion has highlighted a dual direction of religious phenomena in contemporary society: while the inexorable process of secularization has decentralized the importance of religion in individuals' daily lives to the point of completely eliminating the need for religious doctrine, a new process of questioning the existence of a supernatural entity has begun, a process that takes into account the historical and cultural changes of the new millennium. Specifically, the debate on the existence or non-existence of a God has found new spaces for expression and discussion in digital platforms and online communities. This research aims to investigate atheism phenomena, debates, and arguments on the topic of the existence of a deity in Italy through a netnographic analysis of a specific online community, focusing on the identity, imaginative, and social aspects of individuals who identify as "atheists" and engage in discourse within digital spaces.