Impact of streaming platforms on the homogenization and diversification of tastes on a global scale

Luis Rúa Sánchez
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Luis Rúa Sánchez: Universidad de investigación e innovación de Mexico

Global Digital Culture & Communication, 2024, vol. 1, 6

Abstract: The growth of digital streaming platforms has profoundly transformed patterns of cultural consumption on a global scale. On-demand video and music services have facilitated access to a wide diversity of audiovisual content, reducing the geographical and linguistic barriers that historically limited cultural circulation. However, academic literature has highlighted a central debate: while some studies argue that these platforms promote cultural diversification through exposure to international content, others contend that they contribute to the homogenization of cultural tastes by privileging dominant content and recommendation algorithms based on popularity. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of streaming platforms on the shaping of global cultural preferences, simultaneously evaluating the processes of homogenization and diversification. Methodologically, a mixed approach was developed combining bibliometric analysis of literature indexed in Scopus, content analysis of streaming platform catalogs, and a comparative model of cultural consumption in different regions. The results indicate that streaming platforms generate a dual phenomenon: on one hand, they facilitate the global dissemination of dominant productions, especially those from consolidated cultural industries; on the other, they expand access to local and regional content, promoting processes of "cultural glocalization." The findings suggest that the platforms' recommendation algorithms and original production strategies play a key role in shaping these processes. In conclusion, streaming does not produce solely cultural homogenization nor absolute diversification, but rather a hybrid reconfiguration of the global cultural ecosystem characterized by the coexistence of global trends and specialized cultural niches.

Keywords: Streaming,; global culture,; cultural diversity,; cultural homogenization,; digital platforms. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gdc:gdccmm:v:1:y:2024:id:6

DOI: 10.65835/gdcc.2024.1.6

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