DIGITAL INEQUALITY AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION IN HYBRID MEDIA ENVIRONMENTS: FILM CONSUMPTION AS A SOCIAL PRACTICE IN VIETNAM

In this technological age, film consumption has become more than just screen viewing. It has become part of hybrid media environments, including streaming platforms, social media, and offline viewing, as a new form of entertainment. The cultural and social context frames film consumption in Vietnam’s evolving media landscape as a social activity, with particular attention to audience participation and digital inequality. Drawing on audience studies, participatory media theory, and consumer behaviour paradigms, the research defines audiences as socially embedded actors who interact with media across multiple platforms. A mixed–methods approach is employed, combining survey data from 538 respondents in Ho Chi Minh City with qualitative interviews with 16 film industry professionals. The findings show that social media reviews, peer recommendations, and access to streaming sites strongly influence film selection and participation in film–related discussions. However, digital engagement is unevenly distributed: persons with higher digital literacy and better access to online platforms engage more actively, whereas others remain passive consumers in the cinema. The study contributes to understanding how hybrid media environments shape audience participation and reproduce subtle forms of digital inequality in emerging media economies.