Research Article

The Impact of Fragmented Cultural Dissemination on Public Cognition: From a Postmodernism Perspective

Bohan Zhang*
North America International School

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The concept of postmodernism was already present in contemporary society, especially in the digital era. Traditional cultural dissemination materials and communication materials are replaced by more fragmented ones. This includes the domination of short-form videos and their platforms. Moreover, fragmented cultural dissemination methods are able to carry fragmented culture, such as internet memes, which can be fragmented culture independently or as a form of transformation material. These forms of fragmented culture and their dissemination material had brought behavioral changes to people's lives, that is, the change in lifestyle, making people rely on fragmented culture and its dissemination methods. This essay is aimed at discovering the cognitive impacts that fragmented culture has on people. The results of two case studies and several qualitative content analyses suggest that public cognition is now fragmented and diverse, which fixed the postmodernity, and also brought side effects such as cyberbullying. This study aims to provide a better understanding of contemporary society, especially the digital era.

Keywords: Postmodernism; Sociology; Media; Public Cognition
Published: September 29, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.BA37418
Volume: CHR Vol.123
pp. 35-40
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