Intercultural contact through screens: the impact of digital media on intercultural attitudes

The invention of mass broadcasting allowed people all around the globe to experience different cultures, languages, and worldviews, without the need for travel. More recently, due to the development of the internet and especially the popularisation of social media, we are now also able to directly interact, work together, and share experiences with others around the globe. Over the years, scholars have investigated how different forms of digital media may affect individuals’ intercultural attitudes. This has generated an extensive body of literature which includes contributions from different disciplines. One the one hand, it has been revealed that digital media can ring us closer together, creating a ‘global village’ of intercultural connectedness. However, the reality is that digital media have also provided global platforms for the spread of political polarisation and systemic inequalities, giving rise to new social phenomena such as online hate speech and digital racism. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, this chapter will provide a broad overview of research in this field.