Zygmunt Bauman.
What does it mean to be a culture lover today? In the past, it might have meant being deeply engaged with art, literature, music, or theatre—spending years exploring the same authors, attending classical performances, or discussing big ideas in small salons. It was about depth, commitment, and being part of something bigger than yourself.
But today, in what sociologist Zygmunt Bauman called the era of liquid modernity, things may well have changed.
From Tradition to Trend
In the world of “solid modernity,” culture was stable and guided by shared traditions. To love culture meant joining a kind of intellectual community, whether through reading, studying, or creating. People built long-term relationships with ideas, art forms, and cultural institutions.
Now, culture flows fast. With endless access to music, film, books, and visual content, people often dip into culture rather than dive deep. We swipe, scroll, and sample. Loving culture today often means following what’s new, curating playlists, or sharing favorite clips online. It’s no longer just about learning—it’s also about self-expression and identity.
From Community to Personal Brand
In this fluid world, culture is less of a shared experience and more of a personal playlist. Social media encourages us to present our taste as part of our brand. A love of culture becomes something to display—on a profile, in a bio, or through what we post—rather than something we grow into slowly.
This shift brings both freedom and fragmentation. On the one hand, more people have access to art, ideas, and creativity than ever before. On the other, we’re often doing it alone—each of us tuned into our own algorithm-driven bubble, with fewer shared cultural spaces that bring us together.
A New Way of Loving Culture?
Still, being a culture lover today doesn’t have to mean just following trends. In fact, in a world that moves this fast, choosing to slow down—to read a long novel, sit with a difficult painting, or attend a live performance—can be a quiet act of resistance. It can be a way of reconnecting with yourself and others, of seeking meaning in a time when everything is in motion.
Culture in the age of fluidity asks something new of us: not to go back in time, but to find depth within the flow, and to rebuild spaces where ideas and emotions can be shared—not just streamed.