Another side of Digital Nepal: Why is Digital Anthropology needed now?

 Another side of Digital Nepal: Why is Digital Anthropology needed now?

The number of internet users in Nepal has now crossed 16.6 million. Digital payments have become a part of daily transactions. AI (Artificial Intelligence) has quietly settled in our mobiles. Microsoft’s ‘Global AI Adoption in 2025’ report has shown Nepal’s AI usage rate in South Asia to be encouraging.

But behind all these statistics, one question is being left out. We are rapidly adopting technology, but how much do we understand how it is changing people’s lives, thinking, behavior, and social relationships? Are AI and digital systems capable of understanding the context of our more than 123 native languages ​​and local cultures?

This is the question that begins the discussion of digital anthropology.

What is digital anthropology?

Simply put, digital anthropology is an attempt to understand how and why people use technology such as mobile phones, the Internet, social media, and AI in their daily lives, and how it is changing their relationships, culture, and behavior.

It is not about building or coding technology. Rather, it is an approach to understanding people and societies living with technology. It asks: Why do some apps work in cities but not in villages? Why can’t everyone participate equally in the digital world even where the Internet is available? What is technology doing to culture, identity, and social relationships?

Where has this subject gone in the world?

Digital anthropology is no longer just an academic concept. Daniel Miller launched the world’s first digital anthropology master’s program in 2009 at University College London (UCL) in the UK. His ‘Why We Post’ project explored how people use social media in nine countries through ethnographic studies. The field has since spread to universities in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia.

UNESCO has also considered an anthropological approach to understanding the relationship between digital change and society. It is advancing digital anthropology by linking it to cultural diversity, local knowledge, and the social impact of technology. Today, the world's largest technology companies have also started looking for anthropologists in product design, user research, and AI ethics.

In other words, digital anthropology is no longer just a subject in academic rooms. It has reached policymaking, product development, digital inclusion, and AI governance.

Why do people get lost when talking about technology?

In Nepal, the digital debate is often limited to discussions about internet speed, number of users, new apps, and policies. But digital life is not just a matter of setup. It is a matter related to people's fears, trust, habits, and social relationships.

QR payments have become common in cities, but many people in rural areas are still skeptical about digital transactions. Electricity is still not regular in some remote places. Even where the internet has reached, not everyone has the same confidence to use it. Social media has spread information rapidly, but with it, confusion and mental pressure have also increased.

As a columnist myself, working in the internet services sector for more than 9 years, I have experienced this: providing internet connectivity and digitally empowering people are two different things. Even after providing a connection, the question of how people adopt it in their lives always remains.

These problems are not due to a lack of technology. They arise from a lack of understanding of the relationship between technology and people. And digital anthropology works to understand this lack of understanding.

The question of AI, language, and our identity

Generative AI is fundamentally based on a vast repository of language and words. Nepal is a multilingual country. Languages ​​like Newari, Tamang, Tharu, Magar, Maithili are not just a means of communication. They contain the knowledge, culture, and unique perspective of our ancestors on the world.

But global models of AI are mostly strong in English and a few major languages. If these models do not understand the depth and subtle cultural context of our local languages, the results they produce may be incomplete or biased for Nepali society.

Recently, the context of Nepal was raised at an international digital governance conference. Despite internet access of over 55 percent, most online content is limited to English or Nepali, leaving local communities behind in the digital world.

This is the most important contribution of digital anthropology from the perspective of linguistic anthropology. It analyzes how technology is presenting our language and cultural diversity.

Nepal’s digital reality

From cash to digital payments, from letters to video calls, from face-to-face meetings to online communities. Nepal is moving fast. WhatsApp and Viber have reduced the distance with family abroad. TikTok and YouTube have on the one hand presented local talent and music in new ways, and on the other hand have also opened up new markets for small businesses. The digital activism of the Gen-G generation has made social media not just a place for entertainment but also a place for social voice.

AI has also quietly infiltrated everyday life. Through mobile auto-suggest, camera filters, translation, chatbots, content recommendations, people are interacting with AI knowingly and unknowingly. Free AI models like DeepSick are even faster at spreading AI reach in countries of the Global South.

But this digital form The transition is also bringing new kinds of inequalities along with opportunities. Digital participation is not equal based on language, literacy, age, gender, and geography. Having digital access and being digitally included are not the same thing.

The potential and need for digital anthropology in Nepal

Nepal has a long tradition of studying and teaching anthropology at institutions like Tribhuvan University. But digital anthropology has not yet started as a formal curriculum. It is a gap, but this gap is also an opportunity.

Digital anthropology is a contemporary extension of traditional anthropology. Anthropology has always tried to understand human behavior, culture, and society. Now the same understanding applies to digital life as well.

Especially as the National AI Policy 2082, Digital Nepal Framework, and e-Governance plans are being implemented, an approach that understands Nepal’s linguistic diversity, geographical realities, and people’s trust in technology is needed. From policymaking to product design, user research to digital inclusion campaigns, this field can play a big role in Nepal.

If the practice of understanding the social context and behavior of users is made mandatory before creating any digital policy or system, then technology can truly become for people.

In the end...

Nepal's future is digital. There is no longer any dispute about this. But becoming digital is not just about adopting a new app or using AI. It also means understanding how our daily lives, relationships, language, and opportunities are changing.

Digital anthropology works to connect technology with human values, beliefs, and sensibilities. Only if we can keep people and their cultures at the center when adopting technology can our digital journey become meaningful for everyone.

Ultimately, the question is not how modern the technology is. The question is how much we understand people along with technology.