Abstract:
This dissertation, part of the research line “Education, Culture, Theories, and
Pedagogical Processes” within the Stricto Sensu Graduate Program in Education at
Centro Universitário Mais – UniMais, examines the relationship between the cult of
self-performance and the rise of cyberbullying in school environments, understood as a
contemporary manifestation of social violence. Grounded in Cultural Studies and
intersecting with education, psychology, philosophy, and sociology, this study analyzes
the educational challenges posed by an era of dispersion and hyperexposure. To this
end, it engages with authors such as Adorno, Bauman, Deleuze, Durkheim, Fisher,
Foucault, Haidt, Lasch, and Paula Sibilia. The study, based on a literature review and
critical analysis, is structured around three main axes. The first explores Lasch’s
insights on narcissism, demonstrating how this logic has become predominant in
contemporary society. Next, it examines the shift from disciplinary power to a control
society, where constant exposure and the pursuit of validation shape behaviors. Sibilia
highlights the role of hyperconnected screens in this process, while Fisher underscores
how social media platforms leverage neurological mechanisms to maximize
engagement, even at the cost of fostering discord. This dynamic erases the boundary
between digital and everyday life, enabling new forms of violence. Finally, the research
contrasts the traditional disciplinary model of schooling, anchored in Durkheim, with the
challenges posed by digital culture. Drawing on Adorno, it seeks a foundation for
overcoming the superficiality promoted by the virtual environment and for fostering the
development of critical and emancipated individuals capable of understanding and
transforming their reality.