Storytelling in the Digital Age: How It Came to be and what should or Should Not Be Done

Abstract

Background and Aims: This research focuses on the importance of storytelling in a digital world where telling stories has become paramount to engaging an audience. Whether the aim is to get the listener or reader to adhere to an ecological or scientific cause, or to prompt a purchase for marketing purposes. This paper highlights the evolution of storytelling, from its theorization in the 90s to the present day. How, through storytelling, one can influence audience engagement and win their support. It will also bring to light how digital storytelling can be misleading through trailers, ads, or stories. It's important to remember that it's a means of communication. We need to emphasize the importance of theory in correlating the impact of the use and application of storytelling in many areas of our daily lives, including entertainment but also in a professional environment. Methodology: We conducted a systematic review of scholarly articles, books, and firsthand accounts published since the 1990s, focusing on the evolution and impact of storytelling. We focused on experts in their fields, favoring a qualitative rather than quantitative approach. We've selected authors such as Carmine Gallo, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Talk like TED, or Annette Simmons, author of several books on storytelling. Results: Our analysis revealed a variety of storytelling methods across platforms, each effective in its context based on audience engagement and narrative authenticity. The takeaway is that the only variable determining successful storytelling is the accuracy of the story being told. Conclusion: The research highlights that storytelling is broadly used nowadays, in a lot of different ways. The research suggests that successful storytelling hinges on a genuine narrative and audience relevance. This underscores the importance of strategically aligning narratives with communication goals.