Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili (2024)

Wang, X. (2022). Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili. Journal of Youth Studies, 26(10), 1356-1372. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2022.2098705

Wang, Xiaoxian ; Picone, Ike. / Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili. In: Journal of Youth Studies. 2022 ; Vol. 26, No. 10. pp. 1356-1372.

@article{f8635f3f59414f0eb3bbba1719b8e70e,

title = "Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers{\textquoteright} platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili",

abstract = "Entangled with wanghong (literally: popular people on the internet) and the platform economy in China, it has become trendy for Chinese youth to present themselves as they pursue visibility and monetization as vloggers on social media platforms. In this research, we do not focus on celebrities or influencers but on the regular Chinese school vloggers who present and share their everyday lives in and around the school on Bilibili, a youth- oriented video-sharing platform in China. We explore their layered identity construction that develops, influenced by the forces of cultural motivation and financial goals. Drawing from a digital ethnography, conducted between September 2019 and March 2020, and including observations of school vlogs on Bilibili and in-depth interviews with 16 Chinese school vloggers, we theorize three kinds of engagements actively practiced on Bilibili by young school vloggers. These engagements are self- presentation bricolage, self-identified branding, and community participation. By exploring the layered identity construction of these youths, this article sheds light on youth{\textquoteright}s interaction and engagements with the platform economy in contemporary China.",

keywords = "School vlog, Chinese youth, identity, Bilibili, platform economy, wanghong economy",

author = "Xiaoxian Wang and Ike Picone",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1080/13676261.2022.2098705",

language = "English",

volume = "26",

pages = "1356--1372",

journal = "Journal of Youth Studies",

issn = "1367-6261",

publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

number = "10",

}

Wang, X 2022, 'Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili', Journal of Youth Studies, vol. 26, no. 10, pp. 1356-1372. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2022.2098705

Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili. / Wang, Xiaoxian; Picone, Ike.

In: Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 26, No. 10, 12.07.2022, p. 1356-1372.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili

AU - Wang, Xiaoxian

AU - Picone, Ike

PY - 2022/7/12

Y1 - 2022/7/12

N2 - Entangled with wanghong (literally: popular people on the internet) and the platform economy in China, it has become trendy for Chinese youth to present themselves as they pursue visibility and monetization as vloggers on social media platforms. In this research, we do not focus on celebrities or influencers but on the regular Chinese school vloggers who present and share their everyday lives in and around the school on Bilibili, a youth- oriented video-sharing platform in China. We explore their layered identity construction that develops, influenced by the forces of cultural motivation and financial goals. Drawing from a digital ethnography, conducted between September 2019 and March 2020, and including observations of school vlogs on Bilibili and in-depth interviews with 16 Chinese school vloggers, we theorize three kinds of engagements actively practiced on Bilibili by young school vloggers. These engagements are self- presentation bricolage, self-identified branding, and community participation. By exploring the layered identity construction of these youths, this article sheds light on youth’s interaction and engagements with the platform economy in contemporary China.

AB - Entangled with wanghong (literally: popular people on the internet) and the platform economy in China, it has become trendy for Chinese youth to present themselves as they pursue visibility and monetization as vloggers on social media platforms. In this research, we do not focus on celebrities or influencers but on the regular Chinese school vloggers who present and share their everyday lives in and around the school on Bilibili, a youth- oriented video-sharing platform in China. We explore their layered identity construction that develops, influenced by the forces of cultural motivation and financial goals. Drawing from a digital ethnography, conducted between September 2019 and March 2020, and including observations of school vlogs on Bilibili and in-depth interviews with 16 Chinese school vloggers, we theorize three kinds of engagements actively practiced on Bilibili by young school vloggers. These engagements are self- presentation bricolage, self-identified branding, and community participation. By exploring the layered identity construction of these youths, this article sheds light on youth’s interaction and engagements with the platform economy in contemporary China.

KW - School vlog

KW - Chinese youth

KW - identity

KW - Bilibili

KW - platform economy

KW - wanghong economy

U2 - 10.1080/13676261.2022.2098705

DO - 10.1080/13676261.2022.2098705

M3 - Article

VL - 26

SP - 1356

EP - 1372

JO - Journal of Youth Studies

JF - Journal of Youth Studies

SN - 1367-6261

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Wang X, Picone I. Mobilized, negotiated and balanced: Chinese school vloggers’ platform engagements and layered identity construction on Bilibili. Journal of Youth Studies. 2022 Jul 12;26(10):1356-1372. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2022.2098705