Taste on Facebook: Revisiting the omnivore–univore hypothesis using digital trace data

• Digital trace data constitute a valuable supplement to the survey-dominant research landscape in the study of cultural consumption. • Lower social strata show higher omnivorousness by volume than upper strata. • Neither social stratum is omnivorous by composition. • Dominant cultural values may influence higher strata more, fostering greater cultural uniformity in the elite. • Stark contrasts in political engagement between strata raise concerns about democratic inclusivity. This study addresses the limitations of survey-based research in explaining patterns of cultural consumption in the social space. By utilizing digital trace data from Audience Insights on Danish Facebook users, this research employs social network analysis (SNA) to investigate online taste across cultural genres and social strata. To account for social structures and enhance the analysis, a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) of a survey sample of Danish Facebook users was integrated into SNA. The findings indicate that neither the higher nor the lower strata can be classified as omnivores in terms of composition. However, contrary to many studies, the lower strata demonstrated a greater degree of omnivorousness in terms of volume than the higher strata. These findings challenge traditional understandings of cultural consumption across social strata and underscore the need to complement existing methodological approaches with new strategies that better capture the complexities of cultural engagement in the digital age.