Digitalization has transformed cultural access, complementing rather than replacing live participation. Data from Italian regions show higher IT access correlates with cultural engagement, but socioeconomic disparities persist. Digital tools enhance experiences if digital divides are addressed. Policies must promote digital literacy and support inclusive cultural participation.
Premise
The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 had a profound, albeit perhaps temporary, impact on consumption behaviors, particularly in the cultural domain. Social distancing measures accelerated the reliance on Information Technology (IT), potentially catalyzing a broader digital transformation. This shift raises two interrelated questions: first, how does IT accessibility influence cultural consumption? Second, will the lockdown-induced surge in digital cultural engagement complement or replace traditional in-person experiences in the post-pandemic era?
Cultural consumption is a particularly revealing lens through which to examine these dynamics. During the lockdown, digital platforms became the primary medium for accessing music, films, books, and other cultural content. In Italy, for example, 65.5% of regular internet users streamed audiovisual content, 58.1% read digital news, and 16.7% accessed e-books in 2020 (ISTAT, 2022). This shift prompts inquiry into whether digital consumption habits formed during the lockdown will persist and reshape cultural participation.
What does the literature say?
Two opposing theoretical perspectives dominate the literature on the influence of IT accessibility on cultural consumption. The optimistic view holds that digital tools reduce information costs, broaden audiences, and foster curiosity, thereby enhancing cultural participation and reducing educational disparities. The skeptical view, however, posits that digitalization may exacerbate inequalities, as more educated users are better equipped to navigate online environments. This aligns with the notion of a digital divide between “interacting” and “interacted” users.
Empirical studies also reflect this divide. Bauernschuster et al. (2014), analyzing German data, found that broadband access increased attendance at theaters and exhibitions, suggesting that digital tools can complement live cultural experiences. In contrast, Geraci et al. (2022) found little to no effect –or even a crowding-out effect– of broadband on cinema attendance in the UK.
The role of the Great Lockdown in permanently changing the forms of cultural consumption (digital versus in-person experiences) is similarly contested. The academic literature offers contrasting perspectives. Some studies (e.g., Feder et al., 2022) argue that the lockdown did not fundamentally alter cultural consumption patterns or audience demographics. Others (e.g., Bakhshi et al., 2023) suggest that the pandemic significantly changed participation across social groups, potentially democratizing access to cultural content.
Our empirical evidence
Our research contributes to the debate by presenting original evidence from Italy, using panel data from the country’s 20 regions over the period 2011–2022, regarding cultural participation and access to IT tools provided by ISTAT, the Italian Institute of Statistics, in the BES 2022 Report. This dataset, rich in spatial and temporal variation, allows for nuanced insights into evolving consumption patterns. The Italian case is particularly interesting for the structural economic North-South divide, the regional heterogeneity in social capital within a common national institutional framework.
Our analysis of Italian regional data reveals significant variability in both IT access and cultural participation across regions. However, while the correlation across space is positive, the correlation over time is negative: regions with greater access to online cultural content also tend to exhibit higher levels of out-of-home cultural participation. Yet within a given region, online and in-person cultural consumption tend to move in opposite directions over time, suggesting a (limited) substitution effect between the two. On the digital front, regional differences have been decreasing, enhancing rather than replacing in-person cultural participation, especially among the highly educated. Despite shrinking regional disparities in IT access, in-person cultural participation disparities persist.
In conclusion, the Great Lockdown initially boosted digital cultural consumption, especially among existing enthusiasts. However, prolonged restrictions led to fatigue, and there is no definitive evidence that digitalization has reduced live cultural participation. Regional disparities in cultural engagement persist, suggesting that factors like education, income, on the demand side, and active cultural institutions, on the supply side, remain critical.
The optimistic view that the internet democratizes cultural access is only partially supported. We argue that digital platforms often reinforce existing social clusters, limiting their integrative potential. At the same time, the pessimistic view—that digitalization undermines shared cultural experiences—is not fully substantiated either. The shift toward individualized consumption predates the pandemic and may stem from broader societal changes, including urbanization, time constraints, and declining civic engagement (Putnam, 2000).
Policy implications
Digitalization is undoubtedly reshaping cultural consumption. Rather than replacing live experiences, digital tools can enhance them –before, during, and after events– by reducing information asymmetries and enriching engagement. However, to fully realize these benefits, it is essential to address the digital divide. While basic access (the first digital divide) is less of an issue today, disparities in digital skills remain significant barriers.
Policy responses should focus on promoting digital literacy and supporting cultural institutions in adapting to hybrid consumption models. Initiatives like the 2017 UNESCO’s Digital Guidelines and the EU’s Next Generation program point in this direction. Future research should further disaggregate findings by age, gender, and other demographic factors to inform more targeted and effective cultural policies.
References
Bakhshi H., Di Novo S., Fazio G. (2023). The “Great Lockdown” and cultural consumption in the UK. Journal of Cultural Economics, 47:555-87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-022-09463-6.
Bauernschuster S., Falck O., Wosmann L. (2014). Surfing alone? The internet and social capital: Quasi-experimental evidence from an unforeseeable technological mistake. Journal of Public Economics, 117:73-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2014.05.007.
Feder T., McAndrew S., O’Brien D., Taylor M. (2021). Cultural Consumption and Covid-19: Evidence from the Taking Part and COVID-19 Cultural Participation Monitor surveys. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/x9dbv.
Geraci A., Nardotto M., Reggiani T., Sabatini F. (2022). Broadband internet and social capital. Journal of Public Economics, 206:104578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2021.104578.
ISTAT (2022). Tempo libero e partecipazione culturale: tra vecchie e nuove pratiche. Roma: Istat. https://www.istat.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Tempo-libero-e-partecipazione-culturale_Ebook.pdf.
Putnam R.D. (2020). Bowling alone. The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon&Schuster.
About the article:
Roberto Cellini, Tiziana Cuccia (2025), “In-person and on-line cultural participation amidst the great lockdown: Reflections on regional data from Italy” (Ch. 6). In: C. Guccio, I. Mazza, G. Pignataro (Eds.), New Perspectives in the Public and Cultural Sector, Festschrift in Honor of Ilde Rizzo. Springer, Berlin. pp. 103-121. ISBN: 978-3-031-81891-2; ISBN e-book: 978-3-031-81892-9; DOI: 10-1007/978-3-031-81892-9_6. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-81892-9.
About the Authors:
Roberto Cellini is Full Professor of Economics at the University of Catania, Italy, where he teaches Microeconomics and Applied econometrics. His primary areas of research include theoretical and econometric aspects of economic growth, with applications to countries and regions; and game theory as applied to industrial organization, and cultural and tourism economics.
Tiziana Cuccia is Full Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Catania, Italy, where she teaches Economic policy and European economic policy. Her scientific interests include the economic evaluation of public goods, topics in cultural economics with a particular focus on the role of cultural heritage in promoting tourism and stimulating local development.
About the image:
“The Schiefners watching television at home on the family farm, near Milestone, Saskatchewan, December 1956” by BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.
