Chinese Social Media Platform Research Articles

#metoo in China: visceral accounts of rape culture, a non-domestic feminist counterpublic, and networked solidarity

ABSTRACT Since its emergence in January 2018, the Chinese #MeToo movement has mobilized #MeToo, #RiceBunny, and other hashtags on Weibo, a major Chinese social media platform. Countless #MeToo stories, accusations of sexual harassment and assaults, and vigorous discussions of rape culture and sexual violence have unfolded. However, the government has sought to quash the movement with successive waves of heavy censorship to prevent further criticism and any collective action. In this paper, I explore the ways in which Chinese women and feminists have reinserted their bodies and voices into online and offline spaces despite state and platform censorship and the misogynistic digital culture. Employing critical discourse analysis, I identify and analyze three themes of #MeToo activism: visceral accounts of rape culture, a non-domestic feminist counterpublic, and networked solidarity. While scholarship of feminist counterpublic often remains on a discursive level, my analysis attends to the visceral and embodied fabric of #MeToo in addition to the discursive aspects. By articulating diverse modes of #MeToo activism in forming a feminist counterpublic where women center their bodies and voices, this research contributes to a further understanding of the multifaceted nature of digital feminist activism.

Constructing ambivalent masculinity and constant femininity in interracial families: Media representations of African-Chinese marriage on Xiaohongshu

Interracial marriage has increasingly gained visibility on Chinese social media platforms, especially African-Chinese marriage which has been popularly represented, sparking heated discussions publically. However, although several studies have touched upon interracial marriage with analyses through political and geographical lenses, few studies investigated the media representations and mediated comments towards African-Chinese marriage in China as it has become a hot topic on Chinese social media platforms recently. To fill this niche, this study explores how African-Chinese marriage is represented on Chinese social media through mediated public comments, and what ideological implication of represented subjectivity of male and female in African-Chinese marriage. Through feminist critical discourse analysis and intersectional perspective, it found that ambivalent masculinity and constant femininity are constructed in African-Chinese marriage through comments where Chinese males are predominantly represented as positive figures, while African men are greatly dehumanised and criticised. As for women, although public attitudes are distinctive towards Chinese and African women, they, sharing the collective identity of females, are restricted in the traditional conception of gender dichotomy. Finally, the social contextualisation of such representations and potential ideological implications will be generally discussed.

Netizens' concerns during COVID-19: a topic evolution analysis of Chinese social media platforms

PurposeThis study analyzes the evolution of topics related to COVID-19 on Chinese social media platforms with the aim of identifying changes in netizens' concerns during the different stages of the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 793,947 posts were collected from Zhihu, a Chinese Question and Answer website, and Dingxiangyuan, a Chinese online healthcare community, from 31 December, 2019, to 4 August, 2021. Topics were extracted during the prodromal and outbreak stages, and in the abatement–resurgence cycle.FindingsNetizens' concerns varied in different stages. During the prodromal and outbreak stages, netizens showed greater concern about COVID-19 news, the impact of COVID-19 and the prevention and control of COVID-19. During the first round of the abatement and resurgence stage, netizens remained concerned about COVID-19 news and the prevention and control of the pandemic, however, less attention was paid to the impact of COVID-19. During later stages, popularity grew in topics concerning the impact of COVID-19, while netizens engaged more in discussions about international events and the raising of spirits to fight the global pandemic.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to the practice by providing a way for the government and policy makers to retrospect the pandemic and thereby make a good preparation to take proper measures to communicate with citizens and address their demands in similar situations in the future.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by applying an adapted version of Fink's (1986) crisis life cycle to create a five-stage evolution model to understand the repeated resurgence of COVID-19 in Mainland China.

Analysis of Favoritism on Chinas Social Media in the 2022 Russia-Ukraine War

The Russian-ukraine conflict is the most significant in Europe since World War II, and it is also the first social media conflict of humankind. In China, the attitude of public opinion towards the Russian-ukraine war has been very torn apart by the development of the situation. To understand the Chinese position in the Russian-ukraine conflict, this study uses crawler technology to capture the relevant data of comments and bullet subtitles on Chinese social media platforms. It uses popular tags specific to the conflict to collect data, depicting both sides neutral or biased views. At the same time, it investigated the social media public opinion communication situation of the Russian-ukraine conflict. Finally, after collecting the information released on the Bilibili platform, it summarized the characteristics of Chinese public opinion in the social media public opinion war as the main pro-Russian. It summarized and analyzed the reasons and positions of different views.

The effect of social media environmental information exposure on the intention to participate in pro-environmental behavior.

With the threat of global warming, countries worldwide have enhanced their environmental campaigns on social media to increase users' willingness to take pro-environmental actions. In this study, we examined the direct and indirect effects of exposure to environmental information on Chinese young adults' (18-25 years old) intention to participate in environmental protection actions (e.g., recycling, using public transportation, involvement in an environmental group, and participation in eco-friendly events). Data were collected from a sample of 291 Chinese young adults using a web-based survey and a thoroughly designed questionnaire. The accumulated data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Hierarchical regression and mediation analysis were performed for testing hypotheses. The results indicated that exposure to environmental information on Chinese social media platforms (WeChat and Xiaohongshu) positively affected individuals' intention to participate in pro-environmental behavior, perceived pro-environmental behavior control, pro-environmental attitude, and fear of victimization. The indirect effect demonstrated that pro-environmental behavior control and attitude mediated the relationship between exposure to environmental information on both WeChat and Xiaohongshu and the intention to participate in pro-environmental behavior. Extending the existing literature, this study provides empirical evidence on the influence of environmental information exposure on the intention to participate in environmental protection among Chinese adults. In addition, it provides valuable insights into the mediating mechanisms involving cognitive, psychological, and emotional factors in this relationship. Policy makers should implement effective pro-environmental promotions on social media to inspire individuals to engage in environmentally friendly actions. In addition, social media managers should strictly authenticate and remove misleading environmental content.

The Research on the Impact of Chinese Social Media Platform RED upon Chinese Female Consumers Consuming Willingness on Gucci Bags

With the development of technology, the influence of social media on consumers cannot be underestimated. Especially during the epidemic, when most parts of the world were in a state of lockdown, online social platforms became almost the best hope for many luxury and fashion brands. This also provides a new opportunity for luxury goods marketing. How to use social media to increase consumers' willingness to buy has become a new hot topic that brands are increasingly concerned about. This paper uses the questionnaire to investigate whether female is influenced by RED to have willingness to buy Gucci bags, how often they are influenced, and what kinds of content influence and what kinds of content influence their willingness to purchase to 200 female customers in RED. While the economic situation, environment, and practicality are all issues that consumers consider, the majority of people will initially build their brand image and purchase because of the social media content. It suggests that RED will develop future potential customers for Gucci. In theory, this paper analyzes the types of content and atmosphere on social platforms that lead to consumer purchases, filling the research gap where most previous studies have analyzed the reasons why social media users share luxury goods on social platforms while ignoring luxury purchases under the influence of social media.

Topic and Trend Analysis of Weibo Discussions About COVID-19 Medications Before and After China's Exit from the Zero-COVID Policy: Retrospective Infoveillance Study.

After 3 years of its zero-COVID policy, China lifted its stringent pandemic control measures with the announcement of the 10 new measures on December 7, 2022. Existing estimates suggest 90%-97% of the total population was infected during December. This change created a massive demand for COVID-19 medications and treatments, either modern medicines or traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This study aimed to explore (1) how China's exit from the zero-COVID policy impacted media and the public's attention to COVID-19 medications; (2) how social COVID-19 medication discussions were related to existing model estimates of daily cases during that period; (3) what the diversified themes and topics were and how they changed and developed from November 1 to December 31, 2022; and (4) which topics about COVID-19 medications were focused on by mainstream and self-media accounts during the exit. The answers to these questions could help us better understand the consequences of exit strategies and explore the utilities of Sina Weibo data for future infoveillance studies. Using a scrapper for data retrieval and the structural topic modeling (STM) algorithm for analysis, this study built 3 topic models (all data, before a policy change, and after a policy change) of relevant discussions on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. We compared topic distributions against existing estimates of daily cases and between models before and after the change. We also compared proportions of weibos published by mainstream versus self-media accounts over time on different topics. We found that Weibo discussions shifted sharply from concerns of social risks (case tracking, governmental regulations, etc) to those of personal risks (symptoms, purchases, etc) surrounding COVID-19 infection after the exit from the zero-COVID policy. Weibo topics of "symptom sharing" and "purchase and shortage" of modern medicines correlated more strongly with existing susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model estimates compared to "TCM formulae" and other topics. During the exit, mainstream accounts showed efforts to specifically engage in topics related to worldwide pandemic control policy comparison and regulations about import and reimbursement of medications. The exit from the zero-COVID policy in China was accompanied by a sudden increase in social media discussions about COVID-19 medications, the demand for which substantially increased after the exit. A large proportion of Weibo discussions were emotional and expressed increased risk concerns over medication shortage, unavailability, and delay in delivery. Topic keywords showed that self-medication was sometimes practiced alone or with unprofessional help from others, while mainstream accounts also tried to provide certain medication instructions. Of the 16 topics identified in all 3 STM models, only "symptom sharing" and "purchase and shortage" showed a considerable correlation with SEIR model estimates of daily cases. Future studies could consider topic exploration before conducting predictive infoveillance analysis, even with narrowly defined search criteria with Weibo data.

Analysis of Viral Communication Characteristics in Social Media Platforms: Taking KFC’s ‘Crazy Thursday’ Marketing Videos on Chinese Video-sharing Platform Bilibili.com as an Example

The article mainly adopts the case study approach with a specific focus on the ‘Crazy Thursday’ marketing campaign conducted by the fast-food brand KFC, which gained significant popularity on various Chinese social media platforms by the end of 2021. This study analyses the viral communication phenomenon of the ‘Crazy Thursday’ related video content on Bilibili.com, one of the most popular video-sharing platforms on the Chinese Internet. It also examines new features of “viral marketing” within the context of participatory Internet from the perspective of communication strategies and highlights several significant factors that require attention in implementing viral marketing, aiming to offer guidelines to advertising researchers.

Willingness to use long-acting injectable PrEP among HIV-negative/unknown men who have sex with men in mainland China: A cross-sectional online survey.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk of HIV acquisition. Long-acting injectable-pre-exposure prophylaxis (LAI-PrEP), requiring less frequent dosing, is being studied as an alternative method to daily oral HIV PrEP. With the addition of this potential new prevention method, it expands the scope for a wider user choice and is expected to increase the acceptability and uptake of HIV prevention measures. The aim of our study was to explore the willingness to use LAI-PrEP and associated influential factors. Participants were recruited from December 2020 to March 2021 through banner advertisements on web- and mobile app-based platforms on Blued, a large gay Chinese social media platform. MSM in our cross-sectional study was HIV-negative and currently lived in mainland China. Participants were asked about their willingness to use LAI-PrEP and reasons why they might be or not be willing to use LAI-PrEP. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the factors associated with the willingness to use LAI-PrEP. In total, 969 participants met the inclusion criteria and finished the survey. Nearly twenty percent (19.5%) of participants had never tested for HIV; 66.8% of MSM had multiple male partners; and 51.6% of MSM engaged in condomless sex with their partner. About three-fifths (66.3%) of MSM were aware of PrEP, and only 3.9% of MSM had used PrEP before. The willingness to use LAI-PrEP among MSM was 74.0% (95% CI: 71.4%-76.6%). MSM with higher education levels were less likely to show a willingness to use LAI-PrEP (AOR = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.38-0.84). Participants who had a history of HIV test (AOR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.11-2.55), were willing to use daily oral PrEP (AOR = 10.64, 95%CI:7.43-15.21), had multiple male sexual partners (AOR = 1.33, 95%CI:0.93-1.90), who used rush popper(AOR = 1.49, 95%CI:1.05-2.13), and who were aware of PEP (AOR = 1.66, 95%CI: 1.02-2.70) were more likely to show willingness to use LAI-PrEP. In our study, MSM had quite high awareness but low uptake of PrEP. As LAI-PrEP is expected to be approved for use in China in the future, our study of MSM highlights the need for key population-focused education programs about PrEP and healthy sexual behavior. This study also provides some evidence for LAI-PrEP use among the Chinese MSM population in the future.

Vintage cameras: young people's nostalgic practices on social media and the pursuit of identity in contemporary China

ABSTRACT This article investigates the phenomenon of young people in China rejecting new technologies, embracing nostalgia, and engaging with nostalgic practices on social media platforms. Conducting qualitative interviews with participants recruited from the popular Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, the study draws on frameworks of social media fatigue and cultural capital to reveal the multi-layered motivations behind young people's use of vintage digital cameras as a means of resistance against the dominant consumerist culture and for self-expression. The findings emphasize the role of cultural capital in shaping nostalgic practices, as young people strategically accumulate and display it to distinguish themselves. This study highlights the complex interplay between cultural capital, identity, and social dynamics in contemporary Chinese society, shedding light on the diverse strategies employed by young people to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the modern world.

Unlocking Privacy Paradox in Social Media from a Configurational Perspective

ABSTRACTBased on the privacy calculus theory, users’ decision‐making on privacy disclosure was traditionally viewed as a trade‐off between perceived values and privacy concerns. However, recent studies suggest that the impacts of users’ cognitive style and platform trust cannot be ignored in the context of social media platforms. From a configurational perspective, this study explores how these factors collectively affect users’ privacy disclosure. Data from 452 respondents on a Chinese social media platform were collected through an online survey. The results suggested that users’ decision‐making on privacy disclosure in social media is a complex process involving different configurations. For field‐dependent individuals, the trade‐off between perceived values and privacy concerns is less important than the role of cognitive style. For field‐independent individuals, beyond the trade‐off between perceived values in different dimensions and privacy concerns, their decisions are also contingent on platform trust.

Regulation of Real-Name Registration Requirements on Chinese Social Media Platforms and Its Impact on Freedom of Expression

This discussion examines the role of real-name registration on social media platforms in China and its impact on public perceptions, user behavior, and online communities. Real-name registration policies and procedures, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, and user self-censorship are explored. Factors influencing acceptance or resistance towards real-name registration are examined, as well as the impact on online communities and public discourse. The analysis highlights the diverse public opinions on real-name registration and the potential implications for freedom of expression and privacy. Balancing security concerns with the protection of individual rights is crucial in shaping responsible and inclusive online environments.

English learning motivation with TAM: Undergraduates’ behavioral intention to use Chinese indigenous social media platforms for English learning

English learning motivation with TAM: Undergraduates’ behavioral intention to use Chinese indigenous social media platforms for English learning

NEW CHINGLISH IN SOCIAL MEDIA: CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE USAGE PATTERNS

The large number of English learners in China establishes a strong foundation for English users in the country. The rapid development of Chinese social media platforms offers a broader platform for English usage in China. College students, with their bilingual or multilingual backgrounds, play a vital role in using English. Unlike the traditional English taught in educational settings, English used on social media differs and is referred to as New Chinglish. This study aims to explore the role of New Chinglish in the lives of college students on Chinese social media platforms, focusing on their behaviours and habits related to its usage. The qualitative analysis findings highlight the commonality of using New Chinglish among college students, often evolving into an unconscious habit. Moreover, New Chinglish has transcended the confines of the social media platform, extending into offline life. The study also reveals contradictory emotional trends underlying their user behaviour and habits. It provides a detailed description of the role of New Chinglish in the lives of Chinese youth, emphasizing the integration of English as a part of their daily routines. Additionally, this study contributes significantly to the existing literature by depicting the English usage situation in China.

Are Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Related to Peace of Mind? The Mediating Role of Nonattachment.

Peace of mind is an important affective well-being valued in Chinese culture. Mindfulness and self-compassion could potentially promote peace of mind. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects were not well understood. The current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate whether nonattachment explained the effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind. A sample of 364 Chinese adults was recruited from WeChat, a popular Chinese social media platform. Participants filled out an online survey including measures of dispositional mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. The results of correlation analyses revealed significant and positive associations among mindfulness, self-compassion, nonattachment, and peace of mind. Furthermore, nonattachment significantly mediated the associations between mindfulness and self-compassion with peace of mind. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment were stronger for women than for men. Gender did not moderate the direct effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind, the relationship between nonattachment and peace of mind, and the mediating effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on peace of mind through nonattachment. These findings suggest that nonattachment may be a potential mechanism through which mindfulness and self-compassion promote peace of mind among Chinese adults. If the mediating effects are confirmed in future longitudinal and experimental studies, mindfulness and self-compassion interventions can emphasize nonattachment to optimize their effects on peace of mind. It may also be important to tailor mindfulness and self-compassion training for men and women given the gender differences in the relationships between mindfulness and self-compassion with nonattachment.

An Examination of the British Council’s Social Media Strategy in China: Insights and Implications

The rapid advancement of internet technology has ushered in the age of new media, significantly altering the means of language and cultural transmission. In this era, social media platforms demonstrate superior effectiveness, interactivity, timeliness, and convenience, outpacing traditional media outlets, and hence have amassed vast user populations. As a central player in the international promotion of English language and culture, the British Council keeps pace with these developments by employing social media for outreach. This paper scrutinizes the British Council's communication data on major Chinese social media platforms, analyzes its current practices and potential deficiencies based on the Lasswell's 5W communication model, and proposes potential strategies for improvement.

Digital transnationalism in the era of China’s rise: WeChat, Chinese diaspora, misconceptions and future research

In the dialogue, Professor Wanning Sun, an internationally renowned scholar on media and communication in the Chinese diaspora, first introduces her new book co-authored with Professor Haiqing Yu titled Digital Transnationalism: Chinese-language Media in Australia (Brill, 2023). Professor Sun then responds to a few misconceptions that have been dominant in public discourses in the global West on the diasporic Chinese media. She argues that diasporic Chinese people’s transnational citizenship practices will become increasingly bound up with geopolitics that has significantly impacted the operation, regulation and use of Chinese social media platforms in the West. She points out that future research in ‘digital transnationalism’ of the Chinese diaspora could further explore the changing relations between Chinese digital/social media and the formation of a new kind of transnational Chinese subjectivities with a comparative approach.

Motivation for User-Generated Translation on Chinese Online Video Platform

This article presents a socio-cultural study of user-generated translation (UGT), which is increasingly gaining momentum on Chinese social media platforms and presents itself as a subculture on online communities. Using Bilibili.com as the test-ground of study, this article designs an inclusive questionnaire and conducts sociological and psychological analysis on the motivation for UGT by 17 uploaders that are selected based on their different influence and translation field. The study finds that at least six categories of motivation contribute to these user-translators’ good-will practice, both altruistically and utilitarianly. We believe our methodology and findings can pave way for further investigation into the complexities and nature of this new type of audio-visual translation by grass-roots in a digital era and participatory culture.

Cashing the pink RMB through docile bodies: queering paradox of erotic entrepreneurs on Chinese social media platforms

This article investigates the emergence of "erotic entrepreneurs" in China, a new category of male influencers who engage in erotic activities and target followers of all genders on platforms such as TikTok/Douyin and Bilibili. Through ethnographic research, we examine how these young individuals strategically marketize their private and intimate experiences as a form of aspiration and commerce. We use Foucault’s concept, "docile bodies," to interrogate how these erotic entrepreneurs navigate the power and knowledge systems of the creative economy. We argue that the paradoxical position of these docile male, queer bodies helps to increase their visibility on one hand, whilst renders them vulnerable to exploitation, censorship, and commodification on the other. The findings suggest that this paradox disrupts traditional gender stereotypes and the underlying power structures, but also reinforces the neoliberal and patriarchal order specific to postreform China.

Brand gestalt cognition and tourists’ destination decision making: a study of international island destinations

ABSTRACT Destination brand cognition plays an important role in tourists’ decisions. This study constructs a decision-making framework based on the brand gestalt model to investigate how brand gestalt cognition influences tourists’ destination choices. Findings were drawn from 182,357 online comments about seven international island destinations, posted on Chinese tourism social media platforms. Data were processed using emotion mining technology and random forest machine learning methods. Results showed that (1) the environment and product/service providers were key factors affecting tourists’ decision making in island destinations. (2) Individuals’ decision-making preferences were grouped into four types: environment–product/service preferences, story–product/service preferences, environment–experience preferences, and environment–tourist preferences. (3) Island destinations possessing strong competitiveness in all dimensions of brand gestalt could more effectively meet tourists’ needs. This study enriches understanding of tourists’ decision making from a brand gestalt perspective, and implications are provided for building destinations’ brand ecosystems.