On Digital Culture- A talk at Zeytinburnu Municipality

Last week, I was invited to a conversation by Ziya Taşkent, who organizes monthly talks on “culture.”

The talk is in Turkish, but I present a summary of this talk in English:

Digital Culture and Everyday Life

• Digital culture is deeply intertwined with popular culture; both are undergoing transformation in the realms of communication and interaction.
• Everyday life practices have become more visible thanks to digital platforms, and individuals’ participation in cultural production processes has increased.
• The use of digital tools is reshaping individuals’ identities and social relationships.

New Media and Popular Culture

• New media encompasses media forms that emerged with the widespread adoption of the internet and are based on user interaction.
• Popular culture has expanded across a broad spectrum from the past to the present and has been enriched by digital content; this content is primarily produced on social media platforms.
• Digital platforms play a critical role in the dissemination and transformation of popular culture elements.

Algorithms and Participatory Culture

• Algorithms have become the primary tools determining content visibility; this creates limiting effects on participatory culture.
• Users act not only as content consumers but also as content creators; this is reshaping social media dynamics.
• The economic structures of platforms can limit the true potential of participatory culture; this may affect the motivations of content creators.

Democratization and Social Media

• Social media offers new opportunities for individuals to make their voices heard, yet these platforms are also subject to control and manipulation.
• Increased participation can support democratic processes; however, it may also bring negative dynamics such as misinformation and a culture of mob mentality.
• Within the framework of digital platforms, the dynamics of social change and interaction are constantly evolving.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future

• Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing content creation; this raises new questions regarding human creativity and labor.
• Content generated by artificial intelligence may lose its value when compared to original human works; this may necessitate a redefinition of human creativity in the future.
• The future will be shaped by a search for balance between artificial intelligence and human labor.

Summary for On Culture | Guest: Prof. Dr. Erkan Saka / Host: Dr. Ziya Taşkent (May 13, 2026) by Merlin AI

A conversation exploring the impacts of digital culture and popular culture on our daily lives.

00:12 How digital culture transforms daily life and popular culture.
– Digital platforms and social media are fundamental communication tools that shape culture.
– New media ecosystems influence cultural production and community formation.

01:52 Erkan Saka discusses the interrelation of digital culture, popular culture, and new media.
– Popular culture is an older, broader concept that encompasses evolving digital content.
– There are both overlaps and distinctions between these cultural domains, and they influence one another.

05:23 Media is constantly evolving, and new terms are emerging.
– The renaming of new media departments stems from the need for standardization.
– The digitalization process has evolved from the limited access of the 1980s to the wide variety of tools available today.

06:58 Evolutionary debates between digital anthropology and media anthropology.
– Digital media and digital anthropology are evolving to encompass non-media contexts as well.
– The establishment of cybersecurity offices reflects policy changes that influence the direction of digital transformation.

10:06 Discussions on the definition and transformation of culture in the digital context.
– Digital connectivity influences our daily life practices, and therefore it is impossible to ignore the digital.
– Culture is not a static phenomenon; it is constantly evolving through new formations and experiential spaces.

11:50 Technology enables active cultural participation despite the challenges of platform capitalism.
– The concept of the ‘prosumer’ reflects the blend of production and consumption, fostering participatory culture.
– Despite concerns about passive consumption in platform capitalism, there is optimism regarding active media production by individuals.

15:14 Participation in corporate structures is increasingly limited and influenced by changes in management.
– The evolution of companies like Facebook and Google demonstrates a shift in management and decision-making dynamics.
– Algorithmic systems create pressures that may restrict genuine participation, leading to a diluted sense of engagement.

16:51 Democratization of digital culture and collaborative software development.
– Free software allows collective contributions that influence AI models and platforms, despite capitalist exploitation.
– Digital content production has become accessible and cost-free, enhancing participation and access in democratic contexts.

19:57 Regulation is essential for managing the impacts of algorithms and blockchain on culture.
– The emergence of algorithms requires a structured approach to prevent uncontrolled outcomes.
– Blockchain initially promised freedom, but risks persist, including the potential for hate speech and misinformation.

21:34 The cultural impact of social media and new opinion leaders.
– While social media creates uncontrollable spaces, it contributes to democratization and cultural practices.
– New social media phenomena are viewed as digital adaptations of traditional pop culture figures and as new sociological actors.

24:30 Social media influences public opinion by weakening traditional authorities.
– Prominent figures gain followers automatically, creating a dynamic audience influence.
– The decline of intellectual and institutional authority has led people to trust internet sources over traditional experts.

26:05 Information needs during crises lead to reliance on credible sources.
– Studies indicate that in emergencies, people seek information from authoritative organizations.
– Without official communication, misinformation thrives, driving public reliance on sensationalized rumors.

28:59 The accessibility of popular culture contrasts with the illusion of connectedness.
– The distance between public figures and fans appears to have shrunk, yet true connection remains elusive.
– The invasion of privacy in digital culture has transformed how personal lives are shared and perceived.

30:23 The dynamics of accessibility and authenticity on social media are changing.
– Followers realize that some content is staged, even though it appears to be part of daily life.
– Authentic and persuasive influencers are preferred over traditional accounts.

33:19 A digital presence is essential for modern citizens, reflecting class disparities.
– Regulations mandate media sharing, limiting the possibility of digital disconnection for average citizens.
– Digital visibility is crucial for job applications, creating pressure on lower and middle classes to maintain an online presence.

34:46 Cultural power shapes trends, influenced by platform algorithms rather than individual creators.
– The internet’s early democratic phase allowed users to set trends, but this has diminished.
– Current platform owners curate algorithms that control visibility, impacting which content becomes popular.

37:55 Social media algorithms influence content visibility and political narratives.
– The ethnography of decision-making processes in social media is complex but is crucial for understanding content dynamics.
– Different platforms exhibit unique biases; for instance, TikTok leans commercial while X (Twitter) has strong political implications.

39:23 Discussion on the phenomenon of cancel culture and its implications.
– Cancel culture is viewed as a collective public reaction against a figure, often lacking democratic legitimacy.
– Cases arise where social media influences legal processes due to institutional failures in the justice system.

42:19 Media bias in judicial cases highlights societal attitudes toward gender.
– Discussion on the one-sided portrayal of Johnny Depp in the media, raising questions about editorial fairness.
– Analysis of a Swedish court ruling favoring a man despite a female majority among judges, revealing hypocrisy in feminist narratives.

43:50 Press releases from bureaucratic institutions contribute to building public trust.
– Judicial and law enforcement agencies provide information to distinguish between misinformation and reliable data.
– Studies on public trust measure the Turkish public’s level of confidence in institutions.

46:43 Turkey’s digital culture lacks systematic documentation despite strong content production.
– Content on the internet is not permanent, leading to significant loss of digital cultural artifacts.
– Unlike Denmark, which archives digital content as national heritage, Turkey lacks a structured archiving system.

48:22 The widespread nature of participatory culture in content production in Turkey is emphasized.
– The number of content creators has increased, and this trend is not age-dependent.
– Attention is drawn to the weaknesses of platforms like Turkish Wikipedia, highlighting the need for more structured support.

51:15 The importance of human values in AI-driven content creation will grow.
– With the rise of technology, the value of original content will become even more prominent.
– Social interaction and human elements will gain increasing importance in education.

52:51 Campus interactions strengthen human relationships and creativity.
– Students being on campus provides an important environment for social connections and the exchange of ideas.
– While artificial intelligence creates new opportunities in the production of art and creativity, it may also transform certain industries.

55:46 Artificial intelligence challenges traditional thesis evaluation methods.
– AI-based originality checks are problematic due to false positives in plagiarism detection.
– The evaluation process involves tracking a student’s research journey rather than just the final thesis submission.

57:13 Legal implications of AI technology and its future impact.
– AI and software must assume legal responsibility for their actions, making human oversight essential.
– Future discussions about robot rights and legal regulations require collaborative, multi-stakeholder engagement.

1:00:11 Discussion on AI sovereignty and the need for institutional investment.
– AI sovereignty has emerged from prior discussions on data sovereignty, emphasizing its importance for the future.
– Significant investments are needed at an institutional level to develop effective AI solutions, such as Turkish language models.

1:01:38 Artificial intelligence overlooks lesser-known cultural formations.
– AI primarily focuses on text-based content, neglecting oral cultures.
– The Maori tribe illustrates the struggle for language representation in technology.

1:04:53 Discussion on AI’s data-driven biases and cultural impacts.
– AI systems are built on existing data, which can reflect algorithmic biases.
– The conversation emphasizes the need for multifaceted strategies to address these biases.

1:06:19 Cultural and ideological challenges in addressing systemic racism and inequality.
– The conversation highlights the need for an ideological struggle against societal biases rather than treating them as secondary issues.
– Critiques of the Anglo-Saxon system reveal persistent inequalities, including systemic racism within law enforcement practices such as predictive algorithms.

1:09:24 Social media is important for amplifying the voices of marginalized groups.
– The benefit of social media is that it provides the technical ability to reach people you couldn’t previously reach.
– However, the sudden disappearance of content due to platform policies and the decline in view counts lead to a loss of control by the public.

1:10:58 Cultural dynamics can lead to negative reactions despite good intentions.
– Discussions often attract criticism from individuals seeking to undermine positive exchanges.
– The mentioned cultural deficiencies can exacerbate conflict, making self-defense necessary.

Here is the translation of a news in Turkish:

The lecture series titled “On Culture,” hosted by Dr. Ziya Taşkent, aims to explore the concept of culture in a multidimensional way, from its historical origins to today’s evolving dynamics. In each session, experts in their fields examine the concept of culture from their own perspectives. In the season’s final program, Prof. Dr. Erkan Saka spoke about the impact of digital culture on daily life and popular culture.

The “On Culture” lecture series focuses on the complex relationships culture establishes with social structure, identity, the city, the economy, and technology. In the lecture hosted by Dr. Ziya Taşkent, Prof. Dr. Erkan Saka addressed the topic of “The Future of Culture and Technology.” The talk began on Wednesday, May 13, at 7:30 PM at Zeytinburnu Culture and Arts.

“Dynamics are shifting in the field of digital culture.”

Prof. Dr. Erkan Saka touched on the effects created by digital culture:

“There’s a bit of role-playing in the digital environment. Dynamics are shifting. Followers are aware of this too. Some content that appears to come from everyday life isn’t actually like that. In the industry, accounts that are more convincing and original are now taking the lead over those with large followings. The classic distinction between public and private spheres has become increasingly blurred with the advent of social media. We need to examine these dynamics.”

“We need to take the AI language model seriously.”

Prof. Dr. Erkan Saka emphasized the importance of building an AI language model in Turkey:

“Research on AI language models needs to be conducted. This often goes beyond the individual level. It must be done collaboratively, at an institutional level. It also requires significant investment. It’s not an easy task. For instance, the European Union is currently at a standstill. There isn’t a particularly ambitious language model emerging from Europe either. This is a challenge everywhere in the world. We, too, need to prioritize the development of an AI language model. This is critical for our future.”