The Digital Sustainability Paradox in Heritage Communication: A Multimodal Analysis of Seren Taun Kasepuhan Cisungsang 2025

Digital platforms have transformed heritage documentation into public communication shaped by algorithmic visibility, expanding accessibility while risking the decontextualization of sacred traditions. This study examines this structural tension through a qualitative case study of YouTube documentation of the 2025 Seren Taun Kasepuhan Cisungsang ritual. Using Halliday’s social semiotics and Kress and van Leeuwen’s multimodal visual grammar, the analysis identifies three interconnected documentary mechanisms, i.e., selection, intensification, and aestheticizFtaation, that enhance audience engagement while reducing contextual depth. Rather than treating preservation and spectacularization as separate, this study introduces the Digital Sustainability Paradox as a conceptual framework to explain how platformmediated documentation simultaneously promotes cultural visibility and generates decontextualization risks. The findings integrate multimodal discourse analysis with sustainability perspectives, offering practical guidance for heritage managers, documentarians, and indigenous communities seeking to balance digital reach with cultural integrity.