Digital Communities as an Environment for Creative Socio-Cultural Practices

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the cultural aspects of the formation and functioning of digital communities as an environment for creative socio-cultural practices. The research methodology is based on the use of a combination of methods: cultural analysis – to interpret digital communities as a phenomenon of contemporary culture and to understand their impact on the formation of new cultural identities; descriptive method – to characterise examples of digital creative initiatives in Ukrainian and international contexts; case study method – to analyse specific projects; interpretive approach – to interpret the cultural phenomena of memes, fan creativity, DIY movements as ways of expressing collective identity. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is a comprehensive analysis of digital communities as an environment for creative socio-cultural practices in modern society, with special attention paid to creative practices that have acquired a new meaning during a full-scale war, which has made it possible to rethink creative activity as a form of civic engagement, social influence and cultural expression in the context of digitalisation. Conclusions. Digital communities are not just communication tools, but powerful dynamic environments where active creative transformation of contemporary culture takes place. They radically rethink traditional ideas about creativity, turning it from an elitist activity into an accessible collective process. This phenomenon not only contributes to the democratisation of creativity and the formation of new cultural identities, but also acts as a catalyst for cultural innovation and social cohesion. In the face of modern challenges, creative socio-cultural practices in digital communities are becoming an important mechanism of cultural resistance, mobilisation, and self-preservation of the nation, proving that creativity can be not only an aesthetic act but also an effective tool for social change and consolidation in the face of threats.