Intercultural contact in the digital age: A review of emerging research on digitally mediated acculturation
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Colleen Ward
,
Jaimee Stuart
,
Johannes Karl
,
Ronald Alfons Musizvingoza
Year: 2025
Abstract:
Traditionally, intercultural contact has been constrained by physical proximity, but increased access to and use of digital technologies has broken down barriers and resulted in intercultural relations being increasingly digitally mediated. Technology has changed the acculturation experiences and outcomes of migrants, refugees, and international students who can access huge amounts of information throughout their migration journeys, maintain near-synchronous contact with their country of origin regardless of their location, and connect to individuals and groups both within and outside of the settlement culture. There is growing literature on the effects of social media on cultural adaptation and the interactions of diaspora communities online, yet there is a dearth of research that seeks to integrate this evidence into the broader acculturation literature. This narrative review addresses this gap, exploring three cases of digitally mediated acculturation among distinct migrant groups and types of digital technology: (1) mobile phones in refugee and asylum seekers’ migration journeys, (2) social media and the acculturative adjustment of international students, and (3) digital diasporas and the experiences of migrant groups. The findings not only highlight the impact of digital technologies on migrants’ acculturation experiences and adaptive outcomes but also suggest critical questions and possibilities for future acculturation research.
https://dx.doi.org/10.56296/aip00036
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