Travel pictures authenticity in social media space

Abstract

The existing research has paid limited attention to the authenticity of travel pictures in virtual space. Drawing on space production theory, this study explores the social construction process of landscape alienation of travel pictures, as well as authenticity negotiation and flow mechanisms. With the Red platform as an example, combining netnography and interviews with platform stakeholders, the study finds that landscape alienation is driven by various forces on social media that jointly manipulate bloggers' posting behavior to maximize commercial gains rather than share authentic experiences. The interactions between and evolution of landscape alienation, media cognition, and embodied experiences arising from the multi-subject game in social media space determine authenticity negotiation and flow. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.