Abstract

This article reviews the evolution of people's behaviour in cultural fruition. In particular, three issues related to cultural fruition are discussed: the reading process, the direct fruition (of events, performances and cultural sites) and the electronic media (old and new). A substantial reduction in the number of newspapers readers and a less evident one of books readers has taken place; the direct fruition of cultural events and performances is increasing continuously and diffusely. At the same time, the number of those who use computers and Internet has increased dramatically, and the use of new technology is changing the modes of cultural fruition. The results of these changes a very strong process of individualisation with regard to fruition choices and a parallel one of de-socialisation (forms of collective fruition are diminishing). For both these processes, the impact of new technologies on cultural sites and on traditional modes of cultural fruition is dramatic.