Connect: Digital media can connect residents, visitors and heritage

Abstract

Communication media and transportation means have evolved hand-in-hand. For instance, the construction of major routes has supported the movements of people, as well as movements of documents and ideas. The word 'post' is also emblematic of this dynamic: it used to indicate the places established at the distance a horse can cover in a day, but also indicates a major way to dispatch letters and other documents. The development of the telegraph and the train, followed by the radio and air traffic, have enabled farther-reaching, safer travel, as well as the possibility for more and more people to cross their country borders for business and leisure reasons.The fast evolution of transportation means and communication media have been -and still are -the major drivers of economic and social changes that have led to the 'interconnected world' we live in. Thanks to the development of transportation means, tourism has reached mass dimensions. In 2012, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) declared that 1 billion travellers crossed their national borders in a single year for touristic reasons, and that another 5 to 6 billion people were estimated to travel in their own countries every year (UNWTO, 2012). Tourism is an opportunity both for establishing connections with others and for deepening the connection with oneself. On the one hand, tourism offers people the chance to encounter and learn about other cultures and thus foster mutual understanding. On the other hand, encountering different cultures enhances awareness of one's own culture and of what is often called 'shared' cultural heritage.The advent of digital media, of the Internet in particular, has brought about an epochal shift, which has affected both private and social life, and moulded communication and relationship dynamics in every field of human activity. Digital media have not just extended connection capabilities, they have also allowed new connection possibilities. They connect because they shorten distances, as well as because they help to establish relations. Think, for instance, about WhatsApp groups: it suffices to have a person's mobile number to include them in a group, but sometimes one has little interest to be in the group and ends up being overwhelmed by irrelevant discussions and media sharing. On the contrary, a WhatsApp group can become an opportunity to get back in contact with people one has lost, or even to relate to people one did not know before. Today, then, it is enough to disclose an email address somewhere on the web -for example, in the personal profile of an organization's webpage -to be contacted by unknown people for whatever type of request. It is also enough to publish any piece of content on a social media platform to attract comments and ignite reactions.The possibility to access the Internet almost everywhere and to be 'always on', thanks to mobile data, has led to the so-called 'technostress', which can be defined as the stress people can feel when technology takes centre stage in their work life, home envir...