realitypractices

Realitypractices is a neologism used to describe the set of everyday activities through which people collectively produce and stabilize what counts as reality. The concept treats reality not as a fixed given but as something that is continually constructed through routine actions, interactions, and technologies.

The term appears in sociology, media studies, and digital humanities as an attempt to connect practice theory with the social construction of reality. There is no single authoritative definition, but common readings emphasize the joint production of realness by individuals, communities, institutions, and digital platforms.

Core dimensions often associated with realitypractices include perception practices (how sensory inputs are selected and interpreted), information practices (how data is produced, shared, and believed), interaction practices (how people coordinate and negotiate meaning), and material-technological practices (how devices and spaces shape experience). The concept frequently engages with virtual reality, augmented reality, algorithms, and platform economies, illustrating how technology mediates what is experienced as real.

Applications of realitypractices appear across several domains. In education, researchers study how collaborative tasks create shared understandings. In media studies, it analyzes audience participation and credibility regimes. In policy and governance, it considers how rhetoric, dashboards, and statistics shape public perceptions of reality.

Critics warn that the term can be vague and risk overlooking power imbalances and material conditions. Proponents counter that it offers a practical lens to link micro-actions to macro beliefs and to explore digital epistemologies.

See also

- Practice theory

- Social construction of reality

- Simulacra and simulation

- Digital culture