How Digital Media Reconstructs Cultural Identity: An Analysis Based on the Inheritors of Horqin Embroidery

Against the backdrop of the parallel development of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) protection and digital dissemination, this study takes the national-level ICH of Horqin embroidery as a case to focus on the mechanisms through which digital media reconstructs the cultural identity of the Mongol ethnic group. From a journalism and communication studies perspective, this research conducts an empirical analysis based on in-depth interviews with 12 Horqin embroidery inheritors and related groups across different generations. It reveals the dynamic pathways by which exposure to digital information shapes cultural identity through the activation of collective memory and the modulation of nostalgic sentiments. The study finds that the use of digital media exhibits significant generational differentiation: the youth are primarily characterized by visual consumption and reflective nostalgia, whereas the middle-aged and elderly groups rely on traditional craftsmanship and restorative nostalgia to maintain cultural authenticity. Digital platforms reconfigure the value judgment system for women through a tripartite mechanism of "skill mediatization, evaluation standardization, and subject transformation." The ritualized practice of collective memory becomes a living carrier for cultural identity. At the same time, the construction of a "mimetic community of inheritors" balances the conflict between commercial logic and cultural preservation. This study introduces the concept of the "mimetic community of inheritors" for the first time to explain how digital media reconstructs the field of cultural transmission through virtual communities. It also proposes strategies such as a "deep dissemination" mechanism and intergenerational collaborative workshops, offering methodological references for the digital protection of ICH. This research fills a gap in micro-empirical studies on ICH transmission in the digital era. It provides a communicological perspective that sheds light on pathways for the creative transformation of fine traditional Chinese culture.