#PositiveEnergy Douyin: constructing “playful patriotism” in a Chinese short-video application

Abstract

In Chinese political discourse, “positive energy” (zheng nengliang) is a popular expression that has embodied mainstream political ideology in China since 2012. This term has also become prominent on Douyin, a prominent Chinese short-video platform. By June 2018, over 500 Chinese governmental accounts on Douyin had promoted positive energy in videos, and the content was viewed over 1.6 billion times. Douyin even created a separate trending section, Positive Energy, for videos that promoted the dominant state ideology. This study argues that the Positive Energy feature on Douyin is significant. The Chinese government has accused and even permanently shut down several digital platforms for spreading “vulgarity” as the antithesis of positive energy. Using the app walkthrough method and a content analysis of over 800 videos collected from the Positive Energy section of Douyin, this study explores how Douyin promotes the Chinese state’s political agenda by promoting a new form of playful patriotism online.

Keywords:

• short-video
• Douyin
• China
• playful patriotism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For a broader discussion of short-video regulation, see Lin and de Kloet (2019).

2 Baobao (baby in English) is Wen Jiabao’s nickname.

3 See Zhang Yiming’s (2018, April 11) letter of apology (in Chinese), which was posted on Toutiao. https://www.toutiao.com/a1597389902009351.

4 We acknowledge the problematic nature of using dichotomous language such as “elites” and “grassroots.” However, in line with previous scholars, we note that these terms are included based solely on their prevalence in Chinese discourse online (See Lin & de Kloet, 2019, footnote 5).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xu Chen

Xu Chen is a PhD candidate in the Digital Media Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology. Xu’s PhD project examines the Australian Chinese diaspora’s engagement with the dating apps Tinder and Tantan, focusing on the interplay between digital platforms and diasporic identities.

D. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye

D. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye is an editorial assistant for the Media Industries Journal and a PhD candidate in the Digital Media Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology. His research interests include digital music, cultural policy, copyright, and platform studies.

Jing Zeng

Dr. Jing Zeng is a senior research associate in the science communication division in the Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ), University of Zurich. Her research interests include digital culture, misinformation, and online activism.