Productive use of uncertainty in identifying actors of media identity construction

Media identity in the context of society's digital transformation represents a complex, dynamically changing phenomenon where traditional boundaries between content creators and consumers are becoming increasingly blurred. This article examines the crucial role of uncertainty as a constructive factor in the process of media identity formation. The authors propose an innovative theoretical and methodological approach combining the principles of Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory (ANT), concepts of flat ontologies (Latour, Harman, DeLanda), and the original non-substantive methodology developed by the authors. The central thesis of the study is that uncertainty should not be perceived as a problem or limitation in researching media identity. On the contrary, it serves as a vital resource for uncovering latent connections, new types of actors, and non-obvious mechanisms of identity construction in the digital environment. The article provides a detailed analysis of how the state of uncertainty creates conditions for new forms of subjectivity to emerge, redefines boundaries between the human and the non-human (algorithms, interfaces, digital artifacts), and facilitates the constant reassembly of identities. The empirical part of the work includes a series of case studies demonstrating the productivity of the proposed approach: from analyzing the practices of video bloggers (Ksenia Prikhodko, Dmitry Sverlov) to examining interactions with artificial intelligence and virtual museums. Special attention is paid to the Virtual Hermitage project as an example of how digital technologies create new formats for experiencing cultural heritage and, consequently, new patterns of media identity. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the development of an original concept of productive uncertainty and a non-substantive methodology offering fundamentally new ways to analyze media identity. The practical value of the work is manifested in the potential application of the proposed approaches to studying contemporary digital practices, designing user interfaces, and developing identity management strategies in social media.

media identity, digital identity, uncertainty, productive uncertainty, Actor-Network Theory, ANT, flat ontologies, non-substantive methodology, Bruno Latour, Graham Harman, Manuel DeLanda, artificial intelligence, virtual museums, digital practices