Editorial and Critical Reflections on the future of identity moments and social media in China and beyond

Abstract

This Special Issue of Global Media and China responds in part to Stuart Hall’s famous 1996 invocation, ‘Who needs identity?’ – to study ‘specific enunciative strategies’ utilized within ‘specific modalities of power’ so as to consider identity discourses of the present and of the future. This issue draws upon empirical observations presented and debated at the 2019 Chinese Internet Research Conference held in Singapore in May 2019, as well as theoretical contributions in identity politics and social media, the chosen site or ‘modality of power’. This editorial and critical essay reflects upon, complemented and supported by the papers in this issue, the critical and conceptual frameworks that are emerging to critique the global and local complexities, diversity and dynamics resulting from the deeper integration of social media into the everyday lives of Chinese Internet users. It presents an overview of the 2019 Chinese Internet Research Conference proceedings in terms of how social media is used to wrap personal politics into a widening range of identity groupings around gender, class, citizens, pop culture and religion in ways that signal the future of newer forms of identity politics among Internet users in China. Since social media posts and exchanges, while geographically sourced and situated, often transcend their boundaries, the arguments presented here goes beyond China and are global. The shareability of identity mediated by individual, state and public discourses on social and ‘anti-social’ media during the COVID-19 pandemic within China, Singapore and Australia leads to novel ways of understanding identity politics in globalizing China and strategic uses of Chinese identity.

Reinventing Fashion as an Affective Apparatus by China's Youth: Bilibili, Danmaku Commentaries, and the Online Hanfu Ceremony During the COVID-19 Outbreak

“…The whole country promptly switched into an emergency mode to combat the virus and a nation-wide antipandemic campaign was launched, with “comprehensive, rigorous, and thorough measures to fight the virus” (Liu & Wen, 2021). Studies have addressed what was at stake: young people were particularly affected during the pandemic (Huang & Zhao, 2020; Lim et al, 2020). The outbreak of COVID-19 brought damaging and continuing ramifications upon individuals’ psychological wellbeing, causing panic and anxiety among the populace, and increasing fear and stress (Huang & Zhao, 2020).…”

“…The outbreak of COVID-19 brought damaging and continuing ramifications upon individuals' psychological wellbeing, causing panic and anxiety among the populace, and increasing fear and stress (Huang & Zhao, 2020). More crucially, those aged around 20 are at a particular development stage, transitioning from teenagers to adults, and are thus more likely to become emotionally volatile and overly sensitive (Lim et al, 2020). Doubtlessly, young people were a particularly vulnerable group, facing negative affective experiences such as social panic, anxiety, and pressure during the pandemic.…”

“…During this specific emergent state of the nation, every individual was placed under considerable pressure, facing the possibility of infection along with the emotional suffering caused by enforced isolation, social distancing, and quarantine policies (Li et al, 2020). Meanwhile, the outbreak of COVID-19 led to increasing nationalism and racism around the world—particularly hostile sentiments against China by developed countries (He et al, 2020; Lim et al, 2020; Sun, 2021). Donald Trump even labeled the contagious virus as the “Chinese virus” and “kung flu,” reflecting a new wave of Sino–American rivalry and tension.…”