The hypothesis is that the symbolic ability (the human being relationship with symbols) is deeply influenced by the social component. It is believed that this aspect has not been considered enough in the psychological field, in particular Jungian.
The process of individuation is described by Jung in almost exclusively “vertical” terms. The separation made by Jung between signs and true symbols is discussed: this separation is still valid, but must be seen in a more elastic way to avoid a fracture in what is meant as a scale of the density of meaning. Nowadays the symbolic capacity is actually compromised on both sides. The consequences of postmodernity in general (in the Zygmunt Bauman description) and the internet phenomenon in particular are analyzed in relation to the neurobiological as well as the psychological effects. The most important consequences of the constant use of internet include the difficulty in thorough reading and in the reflection and the damage of long-term memory.