Europeans’ Digital Cultural Participation: Diversification, Democratization, Barriers, and Affordances

Abstract

Research on digital cultural participation has focused chiefly on single-country studies and specific activities, hampering generalization. Using representative 2021 survey data from nine European countries, we analyzed Europeans’ digital cultural participation, identifying three key dimensions: cultural information and access, audiovisual entertainment, and content creation and sharing. Our analysis examined sociodemographic, attitudinal, and behavioral predictors to understand the participation patterns, barriers, and affordances associated with various types of digital cultural participation. The findings support the “cultural democracy” model over the “democratization of culture” model, highlighting the diversification of cultural participation alongside persistent barriers and inequalities. Sociocultural affordances and offline cultural participation strongly influence digital activities, with individual traits being more influential than national factors.