Realitti

Realitti is a neologism used in media theory and cultural studies to describe the convergence of physical reality and digitally mediated representations in everyday life. It denotes a state or process in which virtual experiences—such as livestreams, augmented environments, and online personas—are perceived as integral or indistinguishable from ordinary reality.

Origin and usage: The term has emerged in 21st‑century discourse and is not tied to a single author or school. It is deployed to analyze how algorithms, platforms, and immersive technologies shape perception, memory, and social interaction. Realitti is often used as a lens for examining authenticity, trust, and identity in contexts ranging from social media to gaming and virtual events.

Conceptual scope: Realitti can refer to both phenomenology—the felt experience of a blended reality—and a framework for evaluating media ecosystems. It is closely related to, yet distinct from, hyperreality: while hyperreality emphasizes the instability of signs, realitti focuses on the lived integration of mediated cues into daily life.

Critique and debates: Critics argue that realitti risks overstating continuity between online and offline life, or that it conflates correlation with causation. Proponents counter that the term helps describe real-world consequences of pervasive digital mediation, such as the erosion of boundaries between work, play, and identity.

See also: hyperreality, augmented reality, virtual reality, digital embodiment.