Cultural Evolution in the Digital Age
Cultural Evolution in the Digital Age
Cite
Abstract
From emails to social media, from instant messaging to political memes, the way we produce and transmit culture is radically changing. This book uses, for the first time, cultural evolution theory to analyze how information spreads, and how it affects our behavior in the digital age. Online connectedness and digital media allows access to networks where cultural transmission is possible, increasing both the availability of cultural models (from whom we can copy) and our reach (the number of individuals who can copy from us). This poses new problems, and new opportunities (Chapter 1). A cognitive and evolutionary approach suggests that we are wary learners, and the power of social influence, either online or offline, is often overestimated (Chapter 2). The background developed in the initial chapters into the details of different online phenomena is used: the tendency to copy popular individuals (Chapter 3), popular opinions (Chapter 4), or exchange information only with same-minded individuals (Chapter 5). The spread of online misinformation is then scrutinized at length (Chapter 6), proposing that to understand the phenomenon we need to understand why, generally, some information is more successful in spreading than other. The last two chapters examine how online, digital, transmission is different from other forms of cultural transmission, providing more “fidelity amplifiers” (Chapter 7), and how this could affect future cultural cumulation (Chapter 8). Overall, it is proposed that a “long view” to the current situation, based on a personal perspective of cognitive and evolutionary approaches to culture, suggests that some of the dangers of digital, online, interactions may have been overestimated, and the opportunities still ahead of us are discussed.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 10 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 11 |
October 2022 | 4 |
October 2022 | 9 |
October 2022 | 7 |
October 2022 | 35 |
October 2022 | 31 |
October 2022 | 12 |
October 2022 | 36 |
October 2022 | 19 |
October 2022 | 19 |
October 2022 | 1 |
October 2022 | 4 |
November 2022 | 13 |
November 2022 | 12 |
November 2022 | 42 |
November 2022 | 6 |
November 2022 | 1 |
November 2022 | 3 |
November 2022 | 23 |
November 2022 | 2 |
November 2022 | 25 |
November 2022 | 29 |
November 2022 | 9 |
November 2022 | 25 |
November 2022 | 10 |
December 2022 | 18 |
December 2022 | 5 |
December 2022 | 3 |
December 2022 | 3 |
December 2022 | 3 |
December 2022 | 1 |
December 2022 | 5 |
December 2022 | 1 |
December 2022 | 2 |
December 2022 | 4 |
December 2022 | 4 |
December 2022 | 6 |
January 2023 | 7 |
January 2023 | 4 |
January 2023 | 4 |
January 2023 | 1 |
January 2023 | 4 |
January 2023 | 2 |
January 2023 | 4 |
January 2023 | 1 |
January 2023 | 3 |
January 2023 | 1 |
January 2023 | 1 |
February 2023 | 6 |
February 2023 | 3 |
February 2023 | 6 |
February 2023 | 3 |
February 2023 | 3 |
February 2023 | 1 |
February 2023 | 3 |
February 2023 | 6 |
March 2023 | 14 |
March 2023 | 1 |
March 2023 | 4 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 8 |
March 2023 | 5 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 14 |
March 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 4 |
March 2023 | 3 |
March 2023 | 3 |
April 2023 | 2 |
April 2023 | 15 |
April 2023 | 13 |
April 2023 | 10 |
April 2023 | 9 |
April 2023 | 7 |
April 2023 | 9 |
April 2023 | 6 |
April 2023 | 10 |
April 2023 | 6 |
April 2023 | 1 |
May 2023 | 3 |
May 2023 | 3 |
May 2023 | 1 |
May 2023 | 1 |
May 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 4 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 2 |
June 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 3 |
June 2023 | 2 |
July 2023 | 4 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 3 |
August 2023 | 5 |
August 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 1 |
August 2023 | 1 |
September 2023 | 4 |
October 2023 | 18 |
October 2023 | 10 |
October 2023 | 18 |
October 2023 | 26 |
October 2023 | 24 |
October 2023 | 22 |
October 2023 | 17 |
October 2023 | 16 |
October 2023 | 9 |
October 2023 | 23 |
November 2023 | 9 |
November 2023 | 11 |
November 2023 | 2 |
November 2023 | 10 |
November 2023 | 7 |
November 2023 | 29 |
November 2023 | 4 |
November 2023 | 9 |
November 2023 | 6 |
November 2023 | 10 |
November 2023 | 1 |
December 2023 | 6 |
December 2023 | 2 |
December 2023 | 1 |
December 2023 | 2 |
December 2023 | 2 |
January 2024 | 1 |
January 2024 | 5 |
January 2024 | 1 |
January 2024 | 6 |
January 2024 | 4 |
January 2024 | 1 |
January 2024 | 1 |
February 2024 | 3 |
February 2024 | 7 |
February 2024 | 9 |
February 2024 | 4 |
February 2024 | 4 |
February 2024 | 6 |
February 2024 | 1 |
February 2024 | 4 |
February 2024 | 5 |
February 2024 | 4 |
February 2024 | 4 |
February 2024 | 9 |
March 2024 | 6 |
March 2024 | 2 |
March 2024 | 4 |
March 2024 | 13 |
March 2024 | 5 |
March 2024 | 1 |
March 2024 | 2 |
March 2024 | 4 |
March 2024 | 9 |
March 2024 | 4 |
March 2024 | 2 |
March 2024 | 4 |
March 2024 | 9 |
March 2024 | 2 |
April 2024 | 8 |
April 2024 | 18 |
April 2024 | 2 |
April 2024 | 5 |
April 2024 | 2 |
April 2024 | 6 |
April 2024 | 1 |
April 2024 | 5 |
April 2024 | 6 |
April 2024 | 2 |
May 2024 | 3 |
May 2024 | 1 |
May 2024 | 6 |
May 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 3 |
June 2024 | 6 |
June 2024 | 3 |
June 2024 | 3 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 4 |
June 2024 | 8 |
June 2024 | 3 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 3 |
June 2024 | 2 |
July 2024 | 4 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 6 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 3 |
July 2024 | 4 |
July 2024 | 2 |
July 2024 | 1 |
July 2024 | 2 |
July 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 3 |
August 2024 | 4 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 9 |
August 2024 | 1 |
August 2024 | 9 |
August 2024 | 5 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 2 |
August 2024 | 6 |
September 2024 | 1 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 3 |
October 2024 | 37 |
October 2024 | 27 |
October 2024 | 1 |
October 2024 | 15 |
October 2024 | 27 |
October 2024 | 28 |
October 2024 | 3 |
October 2024 | 24 |
October 2024 | 26 |
October 2024 | 27 |
October 2024 | 13 |
October 2024 | 26 |
November 2024 | 6 |
November 2024 | 9 |
November 2024 | 10 |
November 2024 | 7 |
November 2024 | 5 |
November 2024 | 10 |
November 2024 | 6 |
November 2024 | 16 |
November 2024 | 1 |
November 2024 | 5 |
November 2024 | 15 |
December 2024 | 6 |
December 2024 | 1 |
December 2024 | 4 |
December 2024 | 1 |
December 2024 | 1 |
December 2024 | 2 |
December 2024 | 3 |
January 2025 | 2 |
January 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 6 |
February 2025 | 1 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 5 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 4 |
February 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 3 |
February 2025 | 1 |
March 2025 | 5 |
March 2025 | 5 |
March 2025 | 2 |
March 2025 | 3 |
March 2025 | 5 |
March 2025 | 5 |
April 2025 | 1 |
April 2025 | 1 |
April 2025 | 4 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 5 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 2 |
April 2025 | 6 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.