Sisyphus in the Modern World: How Camus’ Absurdist Heroism Addresses Digital Alienation and Meaninglessness in Contemporary Society
Author : Sabyasachi Roy
Abstract :
Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus can be seen as a reflection on the alienation and lack of meaning often experienced in today's digital world by drawing similarities between Sisyphus’s endless, pointless task and the monotonous, frequently vacuous aspects of modern existence, especially within online environments. Sisyphus’s unending struggle, despite its inherent futility, serves as a model for discovering significance and freedom when confronted with absurdity, applicable to the contemporary experience of digital interaction. This paper investigates how Albert Camus’ notion of the absurd hero, personified by Sisyphus, provides a powerful response to the widespread feeling of digital alienation and lack of meaning in today’s society. By analyzing Camus’ philosophies of rebellion, freedom, and passion in the face of absurdity, this study illustrates how his concepts can be related to the current reality of hyper-connectivity, carefully curated online personas, and algorithmic influence. The paper contends that Camus’ perspective of accepting absurdity and continual engagement, rather than pursuing deceptive meaning or escape, offers a foundation for genuine existence and resilience in the digital era.
Keywords :
Absurdism, digital alienation, philosophical suicide, meaninglessness, rebellion and revolt, digital life, existentialism.
