Cetic.br's Unprecedented Study Highlights the Internet's Potential to Expand Cultural Practices

The launch of the publication was marked by a debate with experts

The first Brazilian study to investigate the influence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on the cultural practices of the population, the TIC Cultura project had its initial phase results – qualitative approach – launched last Monday (21) with a debate among experts at the SESC Research and Training Center in São Paulo.

The publication “Culture and Technologies in Brazil: a study on the population's cultural practices and the use of information and communication technologies” highlights among its main findings the Internet's potential to expand cultural practices in Brazil. This impact is especially perceived due to the greater availability of cultural goods provided by ICT and the flexibility in accessing online content, which does not rely on specific times or access to certain locations, serving also as an alternative to the low cultural offerings in certain areas.

The book is part of the "Sectorial Studies" series from the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br), of the Information and Coordination Center of the Ponto BR (NIC.br), and is available for download at: https://cetic.br/publicacao/cultura-e-tecnologias-no-brasil/.

"The intersection between culture and technology is on international agendas, such as the World Summit on the Information Society and the UN Agenda 2030. Therefore, producing studies and debates on this topic is fundamental for cultural policies in the country. Measuring how Brazilians are accessing cultural practices through ICT is crucial to know where we are and how we can advance,” emphasized Alexandre Barbosa, manager of Cetic.br, at the beginning of the debate, which included Isaura Botelho (Sesc-SP), Maria Carolina Oliveira (Cebrap), and Luciana Lima (Cetic.br).

“It is necessary to observe how the Internet meets the expectation of democratizing cultural practices. This is a potential to be explored and relies on policies that encourage it. What we observe are social practices that undergo fantastic development, enhanced by the use of social networks, especially among the young. I consider this socialization a very important and interesting cultural factor,” highlighted expert Isaura Botelho.

For Maria Carolina Oliveira, the Internet should not be seen as a solution to the problems of inequality in access to culture. "If for some the Internet opens a sea of possibilities, for others who do not have access to the network or the knowledge to use it, the gap becomes even greater".

Conducted from focus groups in different Brazilian municipalities and with individuals of various age and socioeconomic profiles, the qualitative study also reveals that ICT allows for reduced access costs and maximizes consumption of free content. Regarding cultural diversity in the digital environment, the study shows that cultural industry products from developed countries are generally considered superior, but particularly in the Northeast and North regions, there is an appreciation of national and regional cultural expressions.

"Another challenge pointed out by the study is the concentration of cultural practices on a few platforms. Discovering the 'new' ends up happening through these networks, limiting circulation of independent productions or those outside the commercial circuit," notes Luciana Lima. In the creative dimension, the study shows the increase in online content creation, from more accessible tools for production and dissemination of audiovisual content.

“The expectation is that conducting surveys on the topic can support the implementation of public policies that align the perspective of digital inclusion with the promotion of cultural rights, ensuring access to infrastructure, repertoire formation for consumption and development of skills for online content production,” reinforced Alexandre Barbosa (Cetic.br).

Besides the qualitative phase, the TIC Cultura project also includes two complementary quantitative approaches yet to be launched: the investigation of ICT adoption in cultural facilities (libraries, museums, archives, theaters, cinemas, historical sites, and cultural points) and their appropriation both in their internal functioning routine and in relation to the public of these institutions; and the production of quantitative indicators on online cultural practices of the Brazilian population, which originates from issues raised by the qualitative study.

About Cetic.br

The Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society, a department of NIC.br, is responsible for producing indicators and statistics on the availability and use of the Internet in Brazil, publishing periodic analyses and information on the network's development in the country. Cetic.br is a Regional Study Center, under the auspices of UNESCO. More information at https://www.cetic.br/.

About the Information and Coordination Center of the Ponto BR – NIC.br

The Information and Coordination Center of the Ponto BR — NIC.br (https://www.nic.br/) is a civil, private non-profit entity that, in addition to implementing decisions and projects of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, has among its duties: coordinating domain name registration — Registro.br (https://www.registro.br/), studying, responding to, and handling security incidents in Brazil — CERT.br (https://www.cert.br/), studying and researching network technologies and operations — Ceptro.br (https://www.ceptro.br/), producing indicators on information and communication technologies — Cetic.br (https://www.cetic.br/), implementing and operating Traffic Exchange Points — IX.br (https://ix.br/), enabling Brazilian community participation in the global Web development and supporting the development of public policies — Ceweb.br (https://www.ceweb.br), and hosting the W3C office in Brazil (https://www.w3c.br/).

About the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee – CGI.br

The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee is responsible for establishing strategic guidelines related to Internet use and development in Brazil, coordinating and integrating all Internet service initiatives in the country, promoting technical quality, innovation, and dissemination of offered services. Based on the principles of multisectorism and transparency, CGI.br represents a democratic Internet governance model, internationally praised, where all sectors of society equally participate in its decisions. One of its formulations is the 10 Principles for Internet Governance and Usage (https://www.cgi.br/principios). More information at https://www.cgi.br/.

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