Miss Xiaoyu Pu

Research project: Female digital diaspora on Xiaohongshu: A digital ethnography of lifestyle branding and self-expression

Abstract

The continued prevalence of "she economy" in China has resulted in the reductionist misrepresentation of female self-expression through conspicuous consumption and lifestyle branding. Drawing on a mixed method of in-depth interviews, digital ethnography, and auto-ethnography, this research is a study of Millennials and Gen Z Chinese female residents abroad, along with some viral phenomena trending in China, combined with the content created on social media and e-commerce platforms, as well as the biggest lifestyle community, Xiaohongshu. By applying the theory that any media or technology is an extension of man put forward by McLuhan (2013), this paper argues that technology has never been just a simple tool; it contains a certain cultural value that is embedded in the technology itself. In recent years, globally speaking, media or technology has become the geopolitical battlefield where various ideologies combat each other. As a unique social media platform, Xiaohongshu is deeply connected with Chinese values.  This female-led platform portrays the lifestyles of urban young women in tier 1 and tier 2 cities, with a focus on fashion, beauty, and food, as well as fitness, study, pets, parenting, and various aspects of life. With the continuous development of Xiaohongshu and its powerful influence on customer purchasing behaviours, there is a phenomenon that cannot be ignored: the traditional word-of-mouth communication method is gradually being replaced by the emerging way of word-of-web. As such, to many users of the platform abroad, Xiaohongshu not only acts as a consumption decision-making platform but also provides a home away from home and a feminine safe space for self-expression. My goal is to investigate the complex psychology and sociology of micro-communities that are linked together through lifestyle branding and this post-modern communication method of word-of-web along with word-of-mouth recommendations as forms of self-expression, as well as to discuss the clash between the Western concept of the self and the discipline of women represented by Confucianism in China's traditional culture. This research is focused on the impact of the platform on the users' perceptions of self-care and self-cultivation practices. On the one hand, this paper will study the impact of the cultural heritage of media or technology on users' cultural identity. On the other hand, focusing on a broader dimension, this paper will study whether their cultural identities will conflict with their cosmopolitan identity when they use Xiaohongshu. The study seeks to produce a more detailed and regionalised result to enhance our understanding of the ecology of female social networking on Xiaohongshu and strive to provide a reference for global media environment studies. As the platform is now attracting more male users, the research will monitor its evolution within the study timeframe.