Cultural participation in transition: traditional and emerging forms of culture and the role of smartphones

Advancements in information technology have reshaped cultural engagement by stimulating emerging cultural practices, such as video games and podcasts, while altering traditional modes of consumption. Smartphones, in particular, are both enablers of cultural participation, providing immediate and continuous access to cultural resources, and a potential distraction that reduces engagement in traditional cultural activities. This study investigates the association between smartphone usage and cultural participation, and is based on a survey conducted in Italy in 2023 (N= 1,220). After identifying five cultural participation profiles, the effect of smartphone usage is investigated through Generalized Propensity Score for continuous treatment, an emerging methodology that can limit confounding biases while controlling for socio-economic and demographic factors. Our findings highlight the existence of cultural participation profiles encompassing both traditional and emerging forms of culture: video games and podcasts. The results, moreover, indicate that the relationship between smartphone usage and cultural participation is not uniform. While the profiles linked to engagement in Popular Cultural Activities, Musical Pursuits and Multimedia Activities benefit from smartphone usage, those relating to participation in Classical and Literary Arts and Performing Arts follow an inverted U-shaped pattern, showing that high or excessive smartphone use ultimately diminishes the user’s engagement in these pursuits.