Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 21 Issue 5

Cultural Interactivity in the Digital Age Sebastián Urrutia Delgado Abstract - The essay addresses mediated communication in a context of technological convergence that has reorganized the logic of production and transmission of symbolic content worldwide. To do this, it focuses on the cultural dimension of participation that audiences have today, particularly on their ability to interact and the implications this has for the media industry and our society. This is particularly sensitive in the midst of a global pandemic, where long-term personal relationships that are important to our well-being are lost or modified. It describes some conceptual approaches that deserve some attention due to their relevance to the debate and their daily manifestation in social life. Finally, it warns of certain risks, particularly associated with some principles that may be threatened in this process of rearranging the media ecosystem. Keywords: audiences, convergence, interactivity, cultural participation, media. I. I ntroduction eviewing modern history, it’s possible to identify some technological innovations that have resulted in paradigmatic transformations on how to scale the supply of information and symbolic content. The invention of the printing press, the development of cinematographic projection, the introduction of satellite television or fiber optics are some contributions to a phenomenon whose main consequence has been a rearrangement of space and time. In recent years there has been a legitimate concern about the quality of the content that circulates through interactive platforms, search engines, and digital media. Episodes such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal or the 2016 US presidential election have opened an area of concern regarding false information, civil society misinformation, and its effects on the democratic system. In Chile a series of forest fires that affected the central and southern areas in 2017, led to one of the first episodes of large-scale circulation of false information that linked its origin to the Mapuche community members or non-existent electrical outages. During the social outbreak of October 2019, false news was spread regarding specific events of confrontations, murders, and burned buses; and in the current health crisis resulting from the global pandemic, wrong information has been spread about side effects of some vaccines or remedies that mitigate the possibility of contagion, and home self-diagnostic tests. However, this transformation also has positive effects; digital platforms, and social media “ lower the cost of maintaining relationships that are rooted in real- world interactions, so in fact, they promote heterogeneity within social circles ” (Valenzuela and Rojas, 2019). The old public sphere described by Habermas (1989), where citizens and authorities discussed issues of social interest, expands and acquires hybrid characteristics as a result of interactive platforms whose operation gives unusual capacity of interpellation to those who are part of that old construct called the mass audience. In this context of digital convergence, this essay seeks to analyze the tensions generated in terms of exchange and cultural participation of the communications ecosystem. The hypothesis is that this transformation has awakened a renewed interest in audiences and their ability to understand, propagate and even rework content that is symbolic, and at the same time, interactive. II. A ccess to I nformation S ources The overwhelming alternatives of the content offered by interactive platforms and the media have increased the competition for users' attention. The mobility of reception devices has generated an “abundant” and “environment” media ecosystem. Abundant, since never in history, we’ve seen a volume of information like today; and environment, because it is not necessary to search for information since it reaches us constantly through social networks, portals, and traditional media (Boczkowski, 2019). This oversupply of information fuels consumption habits that often become incidental, non-hierarchical, and detached. The evidence regarding these differential diffusion dynamics shows “ that users are more likely to pay attention and distribute news that is novel, emotionally arousing and/or have practical value ” (Valenzuela and Rojas, 2019). Novelty attracts human attention, contributes to decision-making, and fosters the exchange of information by updating our understanding of the world. Likewise, it has a social value since it transmits status due to exclusive knowledge (Vosoughi et al ., 2018). However, novelty loses value if that information is not accurate or verifiable. In emotions, their manifestation can occur in different forms such as anger, anxiety, sadness, optimism, and happiness. According to Valenzuela and Arriagada (2016), " news that attracts attention are those that are emotionally charged and the greater the R Volume XXI Issue V Version I 55 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2021 C © 2021 Global Journals Author: MPA and MBA, University of Chile. Degree in Social communication, Diego Portales University, Chile. e-mail: seba.urrutia@gmail.com