In an era where digital transformation reshapes every facet of societal interaction, the realm of cultural heritage is undergoing a profound metamorphosis. A cutting-edge study published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications delves into how Chinese youth, predominantly university students, engage with digital cultural artefacts, revealing intricate layers of national identity formation mediated through digital heritage visuals. This innovative research unpacks the nuanced dynamics between visual interaction with digital heritage and the socio-political dimensions of authorized heritage discourse, shedding light on the subtle yet powerful ways in which heritage digitization influences modern identity politics.
The research centrally pivots on the concept of in-group and out-group categorisation by young people when confronted with digital representations of cultural artefacts. These categorizations reveal underlying cognitive and emotional mappings of identity that perpetuate, challenge, or occasionally transform dominant national narratives. Crucially, the study emphasizes that without external, authoritative interpretation, lay audiences frequently default to reading these digital images as straightforward national symbols. This tendency highlights the latent power these visuals hold in echoing and reinforcing entrenched collective identities even in the digital sphere.
Employing a mixed-methods research design, the authors integrate quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews and visual analysis to map how these university students decode the semiotics embedded within digital pictures of heritage objects. The quantitative strand measured patterns of preference and identification, while qualitative explorations unearthed rich interpretative commentaries that contextualize these preferences within broader socio-historical and political frameworks. This methodological interplay provides a multidimensional understanding of the impact of digital heritage exposure on youth identity construction.
Central to the findings is the observation that digital engagement with heritage visuals acts as a vector for national identity affirmation among Chinese young adults. The study illuminates how digital artefacts, far from being passive historical records, actively participate in contemporary national discourse by perpetuating authorized heritage narratives. These narratives, often state-endorsed or institutionalized, tend to emphasize continuity, unity, and a shared cultural legacy, thereby creating cohesive identity markers for young population cohorts navigating complex socio-political landscapes.
The research further complicates the simplistic notion of digital heritage as a universally progressive force. While digitisation theoretically democratizes access to cultural objects and potentially fosters innovative reinterpretations, the study uncovers a more ambivalent reality. In practice, the visualization and accessibility of heritage content in the digital realm frequently reify traditional narratives and sustain existing social relations rather than disrupt them. This insight invites critical reflection on the social consequences of digitisation practices in cultural heritage sectors, questioning the extent to which digital exposure genuinely encourages innovation or inadvertently solidifies hegemonic discourses.
Analyzing the interpretive frameworks of young participants, the authors reveal a process of symbolic boundary-making where digital images become psychic signifiers of in-group belonging, especially in a nationally charged context. These cultural artefacts are not merely appreciated aesthetically but are imbued with political and emotional significance, functioning as digital tokens of collective identity. This dynamic furnishes a cognitive mechanism through which digital heritage images serve as touchstones for group differentiation and solidarity.
In particular, the study identifies a pattern wherein young Chinese citizens selectively appropriate digital cultural artefacts to affirm national pride, often juxtaposing in-group cultural markers against perceived out-group cultural symbols. This form of visual engagement reflects broader identity strategies that hinge on exclusionary as well as inclusionary impulses. The digital artefacts thus operate as subtle instruments in cultural boundary maintenance and negotiation, shaping young people’s perceptions of national self versus others.
The authors also address the role of authorized heritage discourse — the institutionalized frameworks through which heritage meanings are produced, legitimized, and circulated. This discourse frames heritage not merely as historical remnants but as active cultural capital infused with ideological valence. Digital heritage visuals, filtered through these authorized lenses, project sanctioned readings that align with state narratives promoting social cohesion and political legitimacy. Consequently, young viewers’ engagements with digitized images are framed by these hegemonic scripts, guiding interpretation in subtle yet powerful ways.
Methodologically, the study’s use of mixed methods enhances its robustness and depth. Quantitative data provide a broad-stroke map of visual engagement trends among participant demographics, while qualitative data unpack the rich semiotic layers and emotional resonances that survey responses alone cannot capture. This comprehensive approach exemplifies the critical value of integrating diverse methodological perspectives to explore digitized cultural heritage in social sciences research effectively.
Another pivotal aspect illuminated by the study is the lacuna in critical interpretive frameworks available to everyday users encountering digital heritage visuals independently. Without guided context or commentary, these images become sites of default nationalist readings, indicating a need for more refined pedagogical and curatorial strategies in digital heritage dissemination. The findings suggest that open accessibility alone may be insufficient for cultivating critical heritage literacy among contemporary youth audiences.
Furthermore, the implications of this research extend toward policy and heritage management practices. As digitization efforts continue to expand globally, there is an urgent need for heritage curators and digital content creators to critically assess how digital heritage narratives are constructed and consumed. Embedding interpretive tools that foster multiperspectival engagement could mitigate the reinscription of hegemonic narratives and stimulate more diverse identity articulations.
In reflecting on the socio-political context of China, where heritage is often mobilized to reinforce national unity and ideological continuity, the study poignantly captures the ways digital media participate in this cultural project. The digital realm becomes a battleground for identity where historical artefacts are not inert relics but lively communicative media that young people negotiate to situate themselves within the continuum of national belonging.
Moreover, this research challenges optimistic assumptions about digital democracy in culture. It makes evident that while digital platforms can theoretically disrupt dominant heritage discourses, entrenched institutional and cultural forces often co-opt digital visibility to reproduce established power relations. The everyday consumptive practices of heritage visuals thus have unanticipated consequences for identity politics and social cohesion.
The findings of this study resonate beyond the Chinese context, offering vital insights into the global phenomenon of heritage digitisation intersecting with youth identity formation in an increasingly digitized world. Scholars, cultural heritage professionals, and policymakers worldwide can draw lessons about the complex interplay between digital accessibility, interpretive authority, and identity politics illuminated by young people’s engagement patterns.
In sum, this pioneering research contributes significantly to the emergent field of digital heritage studies by foregrounding youth perspectives and revealing the active role that digitized cultural artefacts play in mediating national identity under authorized heritage discourses. It invites ongoing critical interrogation of how heritage digitalisation practices shape, constrain, or potentially liberate collective identities in an interconnected digital age.
As cultural heritage continues to be reimagined and repackaged for digital consumption, understanding the social ramifications of these transformations becomes ever more imperative. This study underscores that digital heritage is not a neutral archive but a contested cultural space where identity, politics, and technology converge, making it a critical site of inquiry for contemporary humanities and social sciences.
Subject of Research: The study investigates how Chinese young people, especially university students, engage with digital cultural artefact visuals and how this interaction relates to their in-group/out-group categorisation and national identity construction in the context of authorized heritage discourse.
Article Title: National representations in digital heritage exposure: exploring young people’s in-group/out-group categorisation on cultural artefact visuals and related evaluations.
Article References: Jiang, Y., Zheng, X., Chen, X. et al. National representations in digital heritage exposure: exploring young people’s in-group/out-group categorisation on cultural artefact visuals and related evaluations. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1743 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-06030-0
