Digital-Technological Ambience and the Re-Imagination of Okun-Yoruba Literary Culture and Creative Arts Innovation

The rise of a digital-technological ambience, characterised by the pervasive influence of social media platforms, AI-powered tools, algorithmic visibility systems, and mobile content circulation has significantly reshaped the preservation, authorship, and innovation of Okun-Yoruba literary culture and creative arts. Rooted in rich oral traditions such as oríkì, àló, ritual chants, and masquerade performance aesthetics, Okun-Yoruba creativity has historically depended on communal memory, sacred custodianship, and intergenerational transmission. Yet, as these traditions transition into digital environments, a critical paradox emerges; while technology facilitates archiving, enhances global accessibility, and encourages experimental aesthetic fusion, it simultaneously engenders risks of cultural commodification, epistemic dilution, and the marginalisation of traditional custodians. Guided by Technological Determinism and Media Ecology Theories, this research approaches digital technology not as a neutral tool but as an active cultural force that reorganises modes of perception, authorship and cultural authority. The study adopts a qualitative analytical methodology, drawing on media ethnography and critical discourse analysis of Okun-Yoruba cultural expressions across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and AI-based storytelling systems. Findings indicate that digital technology operates as both a site of cultural empowerment and a terrain of vulnerability, simultaneously amplifying indigenous creativity and exposing it to algorithmic exploitation. The study ultimately advocates for a strategic, culturally grounded digital framework that safeguards authenticity while fostering future-oriented artistic innovation within Okun-Yoruba digital cultural ecosystems.