Paper Details

Name: Krishna Kumar R
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Vol-13, issue-2, Year-2026 (July-December)
Page Number: 32-50
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23032086

ABSTRACT
The transformation of folk culture in Kerala under the influence of digital media is central to the study of contemporary cultural change, digital humanities, folklore studies, and media studies. Kerala possesses a rich and diverse folk-cultural heritage expressed through oral traditions, folk songs, ritual performances, indigenous art forms, festivals, traditional knowledge, crafts, myths, legends, and community practices. The emergence of social media platforms, digital archives, online video-sharing platforms, podcasts, and other digital technologies has significantly altered the ways in which these cultural forms are produced, represented, transmitted, consumed, and preserved. This study examines the transformation of selected folk-cultural traditions in Kerala, focusing on digital representation, changing modes of cultural transmission, audience participation, commercialization, cultural adaptation, and the emergence of new forms of folk expression.

It also analyses how digital media influences the preservation and revitalization of traditional cultural practices while simultaneously contributing to their modification, reinterpretation, commodification, and detachment from their original social contexts. By integrating folklore studies, cultural studies, media studies, anthropology, digital humanities, and oral-history approaches, the study explores the relationship between traditional cultural practices and contemporary digital environments. Particular attention is given to the role of social media, digital video, online communities, digital archives, and user-generated content in shaping cultural memory and identity. The research highlights digital media as both a transformative force and a platform for cultural continuity, demonstrating how Kerala’s folk traditions negotiate between heritage preservation, technological change, popular culture, and contemporary forms of cultural participation.

Keywords: Kerala, Folk Culture, Digital Media, Folklore, Cultural Transformation, Digital Humanities, Social Media, Folk Traditions, Cultural Heritage, Oral Tradition, Cultural Identity, Digital Preservation, Media Studies.