A Study on the Use of Social Media in Italy in the Field of Historical Dissemination

Abstract

In the contemporary landscape, the relationship between Italian historians and the Web is becoming increasingly significant, radically transforming the production, dissemination, and consumption of historical knowledge. Digital technologies and social media offer new research perspectives and tools, enhancing the visibility and impact of historical research. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and many others facilitate interactions between historians, professionals, policymakers, and the public, creating communities of interest around historical content. This kind of transformation requires historians to acquire digital and communication skills and to manage collaborative digital source collection projects. However, among academics the dissemination of user-generated content raises concerns about the trust and authority of scientific institutions. It is mandatory for historians to adapt their communication strategies, using simple language, visual elements, and hashtags to make their research findings more accessible. Monitoring the effectiveness of social media dissemination through success indicators allows for optimizing communication strategies. In Italy, with social media penetration reaching 73% of the population, History is reaffirmed as a source of entertainment and information thanks to podcasts, YouTube channels, Facebook and TikTok profiles. Nevertheless, there is a need to professionally recognize cultural content creators and to qualify the staff of cultural institutions to effectively manage social media communication.