Intangible Cultural Heritage and Social Media Research: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

With the development of digital technologies, mobile Internet, and platform-based media, social media has become an important space for the dissemination, presentation, interaction, and revitalisation of intangible cultural heritage. Although existing studies have continued to increase, their research themes, methodological approaches, and knowledge structures remain relatively fragmented, with limited systematic integration. This paper adopts a systematic literature review method, using Web of Science as the core database to screen and analyse English empirical studies related to intangible cultural heritage and social media published between 2017 and 2026. A total of 172 publications were initially retrieved. After screening by publication year, subject category, thematic relevance, language, full-text availability, and document type, 29 empirical research articles were finally included. The findings show that five core themes have mainly emerged in this field: the dissemination and presentation of intangible cultural heritage on social media, user participation and interactive behaviour, platform narratives and digital expression, the construction of authenticity and cultural identity, and intangible cultural heritage dissemination and sustainable development. In terms of research methods, the included studies demonstrate the coexistence of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. Quantitative studies mainly focus on dissemination effects, user behaviour, and platform data; qualitative studies emphasise cultural meanings, authenticity, and community experiences; and mixed-methods studies are used to explain the complex relationships among technology, platforms, users, and culture. This paper further indicates that future research can be further deepened in terms of theoretical integration, cross-platform comparison, community-based perspectives, platform algorithm mechanisms, and longitudinal research. This paper contributes to mapping the knowledge structure of intangible cultural heritage and social media research and provides a systematic reference for future studies.