Empowering Minds or Reinforcing Chains? The Dual Nature of Digital Learning in Higher Education

Accessibility, interactivity, and self-regulation on higher education digital platforms foster modern colonialism. Standardization, homogeneity, power, inequality, and cultural supremacy define this form. This article examines how digital learning platforms support or challenge such systems using neuroscience, sociology, and communication science. Cognitive Load Theory and neuroplasticity emphasize cultural diversity. Cultural Capital Theory notes that non-Western schooling is missing. Media richness theory and benefits Theory examines digital platforms’ student interaction limitations and facilitators. Critical digital literacy, higher education commodification, and decolonizing digital settings are addressed in the theory. Applying digital technology to make digital learning a tool of freedom, not colonization, is recommended.