A Case Study of Gender and Feminist Awareness among Users of Short Video Platforms in China: Taking Series of Videos of a Woman Eating Fruit on the Roof of a Rural Building on Tik Tok Platform as an Example

Abstract

Short-form video platforms are growing rapidly, and users are often expressing their opinions on them. These users come from different social classes and regions, which leads to a higher likelihood of heated discussions and even attacks. This study focuses on the discussion of gender issues on short video platforms such as TikTok, and the feminist awareness among female users. The method used in this study is text analysis. The analysis revealed that the themes of the comments changed over time, with many sub-themes appearing at different times and sometimes guided by the blogger. The theme ranged from eating fruit, which was closely related to the content of the video, to arguing against constraints on women's lifestyles, and then to criticizing the male group. The sub-themes include controversial issues such as "spying", "foreign forces", "urban-rural differences" and "marriage" on the Chinese Internet today. The female users of the Tik Tok platform have a certain degree of gender awareness and are more sensitive to related topics. However, they often stay in refuting and attacking the male group, without forming a systematic anti-discrimination. The comments of female users are often an emotional vent rather than a logical construction based on theory.