Paper short abstract:

Pilgrimage has always left traces throughout society and history. The paper discusses how pilgrimages today are affected by digital societies. The use of digital devices is highly discussed on the Camino de Santiago. Why is the use of the Internet among the pilgrims so controversial?

Paper long abstract:

Pilgrimages are journeys to a specific natural or human-made site. These sites are the destination of sacred journeys and are given special meanings by their society. That is why pilgrimage reflects social and cultural movements of those societies.

Pilgrims use the smartphone as a travel guide and to communicate among the pilgrims as well as with people outside the pilgrim's universe.

The linearity of pilgrimage today is extended by the circulation of digital content outside of spatial and temporal embeddings. Pilgrimage creates a complex network of contemplation, communication, sensations and meanings which are experienced and evaluated in a complex network. This network consists of two complementary parts: being physically on the way and being present in social media. In other words: How do pilgrims combine their concrete ideas of a pilgrimage with current life concepts of digital societies in the practice of pilgrimage? This contribution is asking if there are rituals that manifest in digital space and is looking for newly created pilgrim rituals on social networks.