China Internet Network Information Center Research Articles

The influence of family factors on mobile phone addiction among minors

Since 2007, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has been investigating the online behavior of Chinese youth. Until 1 December 2022, CNNIC released the “Research Report on the Internet Usage of Minors in China in 2021” which shows that the Internet penetration rate among minors is 96.8%, which this means that minors can no longer live without access to the internet. With the advancement of technology and the development of the internet age, smartphones are also coming into the homes of families. Some minors have also fallen into the problem of mobile phone internet addiction as a result. In daily life, all aspects influence the level of addiction to mobile phones among minors. Moreover, family factors play a key role in the development of minors; good family factors contribute to the healthy development of minors. Through data collection and analysis of previous studies, this study analyzes the effects of different factors on the degree of mobile phone addiction among minors in terms of family environment, family atmosphere and family parenting style in this paper. The conclusion is that the worse the family factors are, the more addicted the minor is to mobile phones. Having a good family element is also key to helping minors prevent mobile phone addiction. A good family element can help minors to redirect their attention to life and help them to solve or face problems that arise during their development, and this will reduce the chances of minors becoming dependent on mobile phones and developing an internet addiction to them.

Does Internet Connect to Social Justice Perception in China?

The world has witnessed an important and dramatic transition during the past decades, with social and economic challenges related to the advancement of digital technologies. Meanwhile, inequalities of distributions of resources and opportunities obstinately exist around the world. This study innovates by utilizing household survey datasets to empirically evaluate the impact of Internet utilization on individual’s perception toward social justice in China. Estimates suggest that Internet utilization generates a significant negative effect on perceived social justice (in general, −5%). In China, there are 1.032 billion Internet users by the end of 2021, accounting for 73% of the total population (China Internet Network Information Center). It suggests that 3.65% of the population, around 5 million people, might consider the current society is injustice if all circumstances remain unchanged. For robustness checks, we not only run multivariate regressions, implemented different model specification, and used alternative measures as well as datasets, but also approached instrumental variable estimation with regional rainfall for causal inference. Consistent conclusions are found. Also, we found stronger negative effects among male, eastern provinces, and urban area samples. To the end, our results shed lights on policy implication, for example, Internet associated public interventions can be focused on justice cultivation and information transparency.

Library Personalized Service System Based on Computer Network Technology

In order to solve the library’s demand for computer network technology, a research on the library’s personal system service is proposed. A library-based self-service model was originally designed and developed. The system is developed from six aspects: resource association analysis and mining, reading interest analysis, data collection, personal service, personal service scheduling, and data warehouse. Secondly, it shows that this study has done some research on library application itself and completed some research. Finally, libraries can accomplish personal services in a variety of ways, such as distributing modifications, smart administrators, vertical portals, pushers, and more. In foreign libraries and universities represented by North Carolina State University and the Data and Information Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the construction of personal data in digital libraries has become an important part of future development. According to the law, 57.9% and 65.0% of users ranked search engines as second only to e-mail in the China Internet Improvement Data released by the China Internet Network Information Center in 2000 and 2005, respectively.

Flat Research on the Design and Application of Icon Design in Mobile Phone UI Interface

Flat icon design has been widely applied in web pages and mobile phone UI interface, and has been widely praised for its simplicity, clear color, and directness of information. With the rapid development of Internet e-commerce, according to the survey report of China Internet Network Information Center CNNIC (the 45th), until March 2020, the scale of China's mobile phone netizens has reached 897 million. Mobile phone has become an indispensable part of People's Daily life. It not only provides convenience for people's life and shopping, but also becomes a platform for people's work, study and education. The development of multimedia mobile phones has promoted the flat icon design to flourish. Through analysis and research in this paper, it is concluded that the UI interface flat icon has distinct visual characteristics: concise graphic design elements, strong visual impact color design, distinct order, and so on. According to the visual performance characteristics of the flat icon, a large number of cases are analyzed to obtain the style classification and specific design method of the flat icon design. Therefore, this paper hopes to provide references for relevant designers by analyzing and studying the features of flat icon and design method.

Forecasting of e-commerce transaction volume using a hybrid of extreme learning machine and improved moth-flame optimization algorithm

The rapid development of e-commerce has resulted in optimization of the industrial structure of Chinese enterprises and has improved the Chinese economy. E-commerce transaction volume is an evaluation index used to determine the development level of e-commerce. This study proposed a model for forecasting e-commerce transaction volume. First, a hybrid moth–flame optimization algorithm (HMFO) was proposed. The convergence ability of the HMFO algorithm was analyzed on the basis of test functions. Second, using data provided by the China Internet Network Information Center, factors influencing e-commerce transaction volume were analyzed. The input variables of the e-commerce transaction volume prediction model were selected by analyzing correlation coefficients. Finally, a hybrid extreme learning machine and hybrid-strategy-based HMFO (ELM-HMFO) method was proposed to predict the volume of e-commerce transactions. The prediction results revealed that the root mean square error of the proposed ELM-HMFO model was smaller than 0.5, and the determination coefficient was 0.99, which indicated that the forecast e-commerce transaction volume was satisfactory. The proposed ELM-HMFO model can promote the industrial upgrading and development of e-commerce in China.

Revitalizing Easternand Western Online Communication: A Micro-Meso-MacroLink of Temporal Digital Change

This paper explains in a de-westernized sense (Gunaratne 2010) how internet-mediated communication changes the way we deal with and plan time both individually and culturally in Germany and China. Therefore, it blends Western and Eastern culture and media theories. The paper focuses on two distinct phenomena: temporal change due to social media, and Online journalism, as the core of Internet-mediated communication (for Germany 39% communication, media use 24% Projektgruppe ARD/ZDF-Multimedia, 2016; for China 90.7% instant messaging, 82% Internet news China Internet Network Information Center 2017), with other temporal change via smart devices touched upon (Ash 2018). General research on time in post modern societies, recently more focused on media’s temporal change phenomena (e.g. Barker 2012; Barker 2018; Castells 2010; Eriksen 2001; Hartmann 2016; Hassan 2003; Innis 2004; Neverla 2010a, 2010b; Nowotny 1995; Rantanen 2005; Wajcman 2010; Wajcman and Dodd) has not yet linked the different societal and cultural levels of temporal change. Thus, we suggest the following to fill this research gap: For a micro perspective the notions of network theories (e.g. Granovetter 1973; Schönhut, 2013), media synchronicity (Dennis, Fuller, and Valacich 2008) and the idea of permanent connectivity (Sonnentag, Reinecke, Mata, and Vorderer 2018; van Dijck 2013; Vorderer, Krömer, and Schneider 2016) are linked. On a meso level, institutional change in Online journalism with a focus on acceleration is modeled (Ananny, 2016; Bødker and Sonnevend 2017; Dimmick, Feaster, and Hoplamazian 2011; Krüger 2014; Neuberger 2010). On a macro level, mediatization theory (Couldry and Hepp 2017; Krotz 2001, 2012) and recent acceleration theory (Rosa 2005, 2012, 2017) is discussed. The levels are systematically linked suggesting a micro-meso-macro-link (Quandt 2010) to then ask if and how many of the dimensions of the construct temporal understanding (Faust 2016) can be changed through Internet-mediated communication. Temporal understanding consists of nine dimensions: General past, general future, instrumental experience (monochronicity), fatalism, interacting experience (polychronicity), pace of life, future as planned expectation and result of proximal goals as well as future as trust based interacting expectation and result of present positive behavior. Temporal understanding integrates the anthropological construct of polychronicity (Bluedorn, Kalliath, Strube, and Martin 1999; Hall 1984; Lindquist and Kaufman-Scarborough, 2007), pace of life (Levine, 1998) and temporal horizon (Klapproth 2011) into a broader framework which goes beyond Western biased constructs through the theory driven incorporation of Confucian notions (Chinese Culture Connection 1987). Finally, meta trends are laid out.

The Development and Innovation of the Implicit Ideological and Political Education Carrier of Universities in the “Micro-era”

The rapid development of Internet and mobile terminal technology, the micro symbolic media represented by MicroBlog and WeChat in social life widely used, signifies that Chinese society has entered the new micro-era. Under the background of micro-era, this paper analyzes the new form of the implicit ideological and political education carrier in universities, and then puts forward the development and innovation strategy of the implicit ideological and political education carrier in universities. The 38th Internet Development Statistics Report released by China Internet Network Information Center in Beijing showed that the scale of Internet users in China reached 710 million, and the Internet penetration rate reached 51.7% as of June 2016. [1] In the rapid development of the Internet environment, Micro things represented by MicroBlog, WeChat, micro-film, and micro-public welfare mushroomed into our lives. The way of information dissemination and access has undergone fundamental changes, and people's way of life has also undergone tremendous changes. In order to conform to the trend of micro-era, ideological and political educators should continue to develop and innovate the carrier of implicit ideological and political education and improve the scientific and practical effect of implicit ideological and political education.

A Design and Teaching Practice of Micro Mobile Learning Assisting College English Teaching Mode base on WeChat Public Platform

With the advances in information technology, fragmentation mobile learning is becoming increasingly popular. WeChat public platform and mobile micro learning shows good match, which can satisfy the needs of college English autonomous learning. We build a mode by using WeChat public platform to assist college English teaching, then use a method of questionnaires and in-depth interviews to conduct an empirical study of this model. And the results show that the mobile micro-learning is a useful supplement to classroom teaching; finally, this paper proposes WeChat public platform can aid college English teaching. With the rapid development of network and information technology, the traditional education pattern has been greatly influenced by informationization tide. China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) in Beijing issued “the 35th China Internet network development state statistical report”, showing that up to December 2014, there are 557 million mobile Internet users in China, accounting for 85.8% of the total number of Internet users. The popularity of smart phones and the rapid development of mobile Internet, WeChat, Weibo and other learning technical support, provide a possibility for people to do mobile micro learning.

Regulation of Cyber Space: An Analysis of Chinese Law on Cyber Crime

IntroductionRecent two decades witnessed a swift transforming of human and social landscape due to the pervasive use of digital networks, which connect individuals, institutions, businesses and agencies spreading over the world. The growing convenience for creating, depositing, processing, transmitting, and retrieving of information increased the quantity of data in both static and dynamic processes, improved virtual communication, developed social networks, and at the same time, risks, threats and dangers have also been un-ignorable problems.Naturally, it was not strange that information systems in the background of Chinese history had been regarded as a modern instrument in an ancient territory. In fact, many countries were confronted with similar challenge at the dawn of the information age, when they were perplexed for how to benefit from the pervasive use of information systems while avoiding negative political and legal impact of unmonitored users, uncensored information, unchecked communications, uncontrolled activities and unsolicited visits. Such potentialities were also eroding footstones of the Chinese Great Wall.Additionally, migration of criminal phenomena into information systems-facilitated space has attracted increasing attention due to its high pace of expansion (Li, 2008; Li, 2009). The 1997 Penal Law of China (which was usually translated as Criminal Law, but, Penal Law should be more exact translation) provided fundamental criteria and guidelines for convicting and sentencing criminals. With assistance of a series of other statutory laws and administrative regulations, a legal and regulatory system has been taking shape to suppress the spread of of multiple forms, the so-called new century's pestilence, in cyberspace. The explosion of new and pertinent laws and regulations over the past two decades reflected society's concerns on the ancient phenomenon in a modernized context, and efforts to wrestle with it. Yet, it remained uncertain whether the current approach to deter and redress would prove to be successful.In the following sections, this article will review the process of establishing the legal framework on in China, examine the features of Chinese laws and regulations tackling crime, and analyze the policy for preventing through control over space in China. The article will also analyze the subject, the means, the mechanism and the main purpose of control over cyberspace, with review of its actual effects and defects.1. Criminalization and Penalization of Cyber CrimeThe chance encounter of communist China based on its ancient land and people with the information network had multiple potentialities of changing the politico-social order, which were unexpected and unprepared events in the late 20th century. According to official statistics, to the end of 2014, the number of Internet users in China reached 649 million and the number of mobile Internet users reached 557 million (China Internet Network Information Center, 2015). The use of mobile instant message apps had grown steadily, attracting 91.2% of the mobile Internet users (ibid.). Cyber security accidents and criminal cases are both increasing stubbornly (The National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China, 2014). Crimes and criminals come in all varieties on the Internet, ranging from the catastrophic to the merely annoying (Icove et. al., 1995). Therefore, defined broadly, the term cyber crime could reasonably cover an extensive variety of criminal offences, activities, or issues. In China, the term has been the same from the beginning, pronounced as jisuanji fanzui (computer crime). Now, the term more frequently used is wangluo fanzui (network crime). Nevertheless, there has never been an official term for it. The crimes promulgated in the Penal Law of China are more complicated, because the Penal Law itself did not give simplified names to any offences. …

Quantifying the Influence of Websites Based on Online Collective Attention Flow

The availability of network big data, such as those from online users’ surfing records, communication records, and e-commerce records, makes it possible for us to probe into and quantify the regular patterns of users’ long-range and complex interactions between websites. If we see the Web as a virtual living organism, according to the metabolic theory, the websites must absorb “energy” to grow, reproduce, and develop. We are interested in the following two questions: 1) where does the “energy” come from? 2) will the websites generate macro influence on the whole Web based on the “energy”? Our data consist of more than 30 000 online users’ surfing log data from China Internet Network Information Center. We would consider the influence as metabolism and users’ attention flow as the energy for the websites. We study how collective attention distributes and flows among different websites by the empirical attention flow network. Different from traditional studies which focused on information flow, we study users’ attention flow, which is not only a “reversed” way to study Web structure and transmission mode, but also the first step to understand the underlying dynamics of the World Wide Web. We find that the macro influence of websites scales sub-linearly against the collective attention flow dwelling time, which is not consistent with the heuristics that the more users’ dwelling time is, the greater influence a website will have. Further analysis finds a supper-linear scaling relationship between the influence of websites and the attention flow intensity. This is a websites version of Kleiber’s law. We further notice that the development cycle of the websites can be split into three phases: the uncertain growth phase, the partially accelerating growth phase, and the fully accelerating growth phase. We also find that compared with the widespread hyperlinks analysis models, the attention flow network is an effective theoretical tool to estimate and rank websites.

CHANGING PATTERNS OF LUXURY FASHION CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR THROUGH DIGITAL

China has become a key market for the luxury fashion industry. Yet the relationship with the role of digital marketing is still mostly unexplored. The increase of Internet in China has been Impressive. A report from CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center) indicated that Chinese netizens increased to around 0.632 billion. Internet has a deep impact on people’s life, changing their lifestyles and consuming behaviours. For luxury brands entering Chinese market, the competition becomes fiercer. Despite the traditional marketing model, an increasing number of luxury companies are orienting their strategy towards the blue ocean—on-line market. On-line luxury fashion commerce has become a creative joint of Internet technology and business operations.Despite the fact that the Chinese market is regarded as potentially the fastest growing market for the luxury industry, many challenges exist nowadays since China is a young player in both luxury industry and e-commerce field. Some experts in the field believe that the limitation of customers’ experience is the most essential problem, and some others assert it would be difficult to do on-line marketing for luxury products. Besides, there is still an ongoing debate on the key factors that determine the success of on-line sales in luxury industry. Luxury Fashion customers are mainly composed by elder segment, while luxury consumers are increasingly becoming a younger segment (about under 40 years old) in China. In particular, their consumption concept is very different from that of traditional customers. A survey from McKinsey & Company indicates that there are almost 90% of Chinese Internet users living in tier1, tier2 and tier 3 cities have enrolled in a social-media site. Moreover, Chinese people are regarded as the world’s most active social-media population, around 91% of respondents telling they visited a social-media site in the previous six months, followed by 70% in South Korea, 67% in the United States and 30% in Japan (Chiu, Lin, & Silverman, 2012).This article is based on an exploratory study analysing the current situation of Chinese online market and the online shopping websites. Through interviews with customers who already had online luxury shopping experience and a questionnaire to about 150 potential customers of online luxury shopping websites, this paper tries to identify some of the key factors affecting the purchasing behaviour of Chinese customers of luxury fashion products. Based on the understanding of the current situation and the innovative role played by the digital orientation of purchasing behaviours in luxury, this article will introduce some hypotheses in order to verify the assumptions associated to key challenges and success factors in the Chinese market which can be the reference for luxury companies to fix their on-line marketing – pricing, distribution network, fashion brands variety. The exploratory study in the field has already showed specific results. With respect to pricing strategy for online purchasing, results showed clearly that besides the fact that traditional luxury purchasers are not price-sensitive also in relation to the fact that luxury products high price is a symbol of exclusivity; the modern luxury fashion Chinese customers, mainly composed by people younger than 30-yearsold, enjoying the wealth accumulated by their parents and other family members, have better education backgrounds which makes them have little conceptions about the purchasing power of currency. Logistics, which contain the products’ packaging, delivery mode and time and comprehensive quality of it appeared to be the one of the most important way to present the e-retailers’ services for online luxury customers. Through customers purchase luxury products online, the majority of them are still expected to enjoy the luxury experience and services just like in the traditional luxury boutiques. Based on the knowledge and the previous studies of luxury consumers and Chinese e-commerce two hypotheses will be proposed and verified in the empirical study. Furthermore, Supply channel for online luxury shopping websites have also shown to be also particularly relevant as the product quality and the modes are the most attractive factor for customers. A qualified supply channel will guarantee the products’ quality and variety for customers.Chinese market has its own characters and Chinese citizen shopping habits are also distinct, obviously, the current situation in China has indicated that luxury brands and e-commerce still in the run-in period. Through there are some successful cases in western countries which can partly provide some key factors for Chinese market, it is impracticable for luxury brands and some retailing websites copy their experience and follow those “rules” in China. It is quite critical for both luxury brands ande-commerce companies recognize the difference existed in this market, understand the real situation and then modify their marketing policies. This study has only analysed some of the key issues affecting the purchasing patterns of luxury fashion customers. Consequently more quantitative and qualitative research in the field that analyses it from different perspectives it is suggested.

The Rise of Chinese Internet Language: Product and Agent of Globalization from Below

Abstract As globalization presses on in China a market economy and democracy have been developed, and ordinary people obtained opportunities at many levels. One of them is their tangible access to media networks, computer facilities, online technologies, and global information exchange, which leads to the rise and expansion of Chinese Internet Language (CIL). Drawing on theoretical perspectives from globalization research, such as globalization and transformation (Steger 2009), as well as globalization and language (Fairclough 2006, 2009), this study intends to examine the emerging CIL and its role in social change. Taking a globalization and language approach, this study seeks to answer questions such as: What characterizes the CIL? How does the CIL reflect the changing social conditions in contemporary China? And how does the cyber community generate new public discourse that drives the changing China? Data used for this study are from three major sources: (1) The corpus-based annual national reports entitled The Language Situation in China《中国语言生活状况报告》Zhongguo Yuyan Shenghuo Zhuangkuang Baogao from 2005 to 2013 (English version in Volumes 1 and 2 of Language Policies and Practices in China, Yuming Li and Wei Li, 2013, 2014), (2) the Semi-Annual Report on International Development in China by CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center), and (3) recent Chinese publications, online or printed. Collectively, the data indicate that, with globalization rapidly changing and seriously challenging China, its social conditions and people’s life chances are radically changing, which are measured, evaluated, and reflected on by the language use of grassroots people that is marked with innovations, catch words, and novel forms. Officially branded as low standard and crude, CIL binds together a Chinese-speaking cyber community that generates new public discourse as the pushing hand and uncompromising challenger of the social change “from below.”

Research on Web Search Engine Optimization and its Application

The universal search engine, which is widely used now, has significantly improved the efficiency of retrieving information. According to CNNIC (China Internet Network Information Center) 26th Internet survey, the search takes up 76.30% for absolute advantage as a major way for users to obtain information from the Internet. Among almost all the surveys of using on the Internet in the world, search engine is second only to e-mail service. But with the growth of a wide range of information, these universal search engines can not meet people's needs either in retrieval precision or in retrieval efficiency when retrieving information on a subject or topic. That's because as long as the user enters the same keywords, the feedbacks of universal search engine are just the same. Universal search engine does not take the differences in interests and needs between different users, which often exist, into account. For example, dentists and ceramics enthusiasts would hold different concerns about the term "ceramic". In order to be more rapid, accurate and efficient in retrieving information on particular subject or theme, it is essential to develop information retrieval systems on specific areas, that is, the domain-specific search engine.

Measuring spatial differences of informatization in China

As the wide application of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) shows, the world is moving fast towards an information age. Since China was first connected to the Internet in 1994, the development of ICTs in China and around the world has been astonishingly fast, and yet there is a clear ‘digital divide’ among different regions in China. Although Chinese geographers have paid attention to regional differences in informatization, they usually employ a limited number of indicators, mainly focusing on the Internet. In fact, informatization is a much broader concept, covering not only the Internet, but also mobile phones as well as user ability. In the light of these considerations, this study provides a comprehensive examination of the development of informatization and its spatial differences in China. First, based on a literature review, the paper identifies 29 preliminary indicators for measuring informatization, and employs principal components analysis and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to streamline them into 12 indicators to form an ICTs Development Index (IDI). Second, by using the data from provincial statistical yearbooks and the China Internet Network Information Center, the paper calculates the IDI of each mega-region and each province in 2000–2010, and measures the changing spatial differences in the development of informatization in China. Lastly, the paper quantifies the relationship between informatization and economic growth. The empirical results show that the IDI of the western and central China has been increasing faster than that of the coastal region, indicating that the digital divide in China has been narrowing.

Performance of ICT Industry in Six Asian Countries

This study explores the performance of ICT industry through Sales Growth Rate and Profitability Ratio between ASEAN and East Asia and also through individual country. Data from Orbis Database (OVBD) were analyzed; 24 ICT companies in ASEAN region which involve Thailand, Malaysia, and Philippines; and 231 ICT companies in East Asia; Japan, China and South Korea by using t test and ANOVA techniques. Our empirical results shows that East Asia shows a good performance in Sales Growth Rate but low performance in Profitability Ratio compare to ASEAN in the ICT industry. By comparing the performance of each country, China shows positive performance in the Sales Growth while Malaysia has the low performance in Profitability Ratio; ROSF, ROCE and Korea with its ROA, Profit Margin and EBITDA. Various resources were used to support our findings such as Global Information Technology Report, China Internet Network Information Center, Asian Development Bank and also implying sales maximization theory in this study.

Network Intrusion Detection based on GMKL Algorithm

According to the 31th statistical reports of China Internet network information center (CNNIC), by the end of December 2012, the number of Chinese netizens has reached 564 million, and the scale of mobile Internet users also reached 420 million. But when the network brings great convenience to people's life, it also brings huge threat in the life of people. So through collecting and analyzing the information in the computer system or network we can detect any possible behaviors that can damage the availability, integrity and confidentiality of the computer resource, and make timely treatment to these behaviors which have important research significance to improve the operation environment of network and network service. At present, the Neural Network, Support Vector machine (SVM) and Hidden Markov Model, Fuzzy inference and Genetic Algorithms are introduced into the research of network intrusion detection, trying to build a healthy and secure network operation environment. But most of these algorithms are based on the total sample and it also hypothesizes that the number of the sample is infinity. But in the field of network intrusion the collected data often cannot meet the above requirements. It often shows high latitudes, variability and small sample characteristics. For these data using traditional machine learning methods are hard to get ideal results. In view of this, this paper proposed a Generalized Multi-Kernel Learning method to applied to network intrusion detection. The Generalized Multi-Kernel Learning method can be well applied to large scale sample data, dimension complex, containing a large number of heterogeneous information and so on. The experimental results show that applying GMKL to network attack detection has high classification precision and low abnormal practical precision.

Guanxi in the Chinese Web-A Study of Mutual Linking

The internet industry in china has developed at an impressive rate over the past decade. According to a survey from the China Internet Network Information Center, by June 2010, the number of Internet users in China had reached 420 million. The Internet penetration rate in China remains low, with the majority of the Internet users being young urban students (ages 18-30) in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Technological Empowerment: The Internet, State, and Society in China (review)

Reviewed by: Technological Empowerment: The Internet, State, and Society in China Mian Rachel Wang (bio) Technological Empowerment: The Internet, State, and Society in China. By Yongnian Zheng. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2007. Pp. 246. $50. According to the China Internet Network Information Center, at the end of 2007 there were 156 million internet users in China. The internet is becoming increasingly accessible by means of DSL, cable modems, and mobile phones, and there is no doubt that it is playing a growing role in Chinese social life. Scholars are interested in understanding the impact of the internet on the authoritarian government, and vice versa. Technological Empowerment is an attempt to provide a framework for understanding the relationship between the state and a new technology. Yongnian Zheng’s central argument is that the internet and the state have a fourfold symbiotic relationship: the internet empowers both the state and society because both benefit from its development; these benefits are dispersed throughout society; the internet has created a new system for conducting politics; and it has created a feedback relationship between the state and society. Zheng begins by noting that nineteenth-century political elites believed that science and technology were the keys to building a strong nation. Today, while science and technology are still seen as nation-building tools, the legitimacy of the ruling party derives from its ability to provide sustainable economic growth. The internet has become an important [End Page 1089] source of growth, and the impact of internet-driven economic development empowers the state as well as society. Because innumerable social grievances have been generated, the internet provides a new space for diffusing them and forming new social organizations. The ruling party faces the dual task of fostering economic growth while minimizing political risks brought on by the internet. Exercising effective control is difficult, but information technology has provided more opportunities for political liberalization in China, and the internet has fostered political openness, transparency, and accountability. Moreover, political liberalization is in large part due to the rapid development of information space and accessibility to that space through the internet. Since the government no longer has a monopoly on information, citizens now participate in public discussion and form collectives. Once these collectives form, their success (or demise) lies in their strategy for opposing the political system. A strategy that the state regards as nonthreatening to its legitimacy is likely to succeed. Without a doubt, the internet is transforming the relationship between the state and the society in China. Will information technology ultimately lead to democratization? Zheng argues that if democratization comes, it will be through gradual political liberalization rather than through external forces or domestic uprisings. Although information technology is currently creating meaningful changes in the Chinese regime, it is important to remember that its political impact takes place in a complex environment that includes the market economy, globalization, and capitalism. Technological Empowerment is a great contribution to the study of information technology in China. Zheng provides not only a thorough analysis of the origin of the nation-building framework, but also case studies of interactions between the state and society that are facilitated through information technology. One caveat: Zheng tends to paint contemporary China as having a unified class of entrepreneurs. Other scholars such as Keelee S. Tsai argue that the private sector has grown increasingly diverse. The nature and characteristics of China’s middle class remain an area of contestation. [End Page 1090] Mian Rachel Wang Mian Rachel Wang is a Ph.D. student in the History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Copyright © 2008 Society for the History of Technology

Diffusion, use, and effect of the internet in China

China has embraced the Internet. As of December 2004, 94 million people had gone online, making China the second largest Internet-user market in the world, behind only the U.S., according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), which has carried out 15 semiannual surveys of Internet users in China since 1997. 1 The growth trajectory of the country's Internet use appears to follow the common S-curve of technology adoption seen around the world (see Figure 1). The collapse of the worldwide Internet bubble in 2000 and 2001 slowed diffusion only momentarily. The rate of growth accelerated again in 2002 and 2003, driven by a few leading applications, including online chat, online games, and the Web-based short message service (SMS).

Computer-related technostress in China

Technostress has been defined as any negative effect on human attitudes, thoughts, behavior, and psychology that directly or indirectly results from technology [8]. With the recent widespread application of IT and the Internet throughout China, technostress has become a serious issue for both users and IT professionals due to its potential effect on users' mental health and on-the-job productivity. Chinese employees are surrounded, often overwhelmed, by modern technology. The top 100 largest Chinese enterprises, accounting for 25% of China's GDP, are investing heavily ($10--$15 billion annually) in new IT applications, including enterprise resource planning systems. A 2002 report by the Chinese Ministry of Information Industry stated that there are 380 million mobile phone subscribers in China, making the country the world's largest mobile phone market. And a survey conducted in 2004 by the China Internet Network Information Center found that 87 million Chinese frequently accessed the Internet in 2004, an increase of 19 million, or 27.9%, over 2003.