Wang Chaonan, group 648
Social media plays an important role in today’s society, not only becoming the main channel for people to obtain information and communication, but also becoming an important shaper and influencer of public opinion. With the rapid development of social media in China, platforms such as Weibo, wechat and Douyin have become an indispensable part of people’s lives. This paper aims to explore the shaping and influencing mechanisms of Chinese social media on public opinion, and analyze its social, political and cultural impact.
Background introduction
With the spread of the Internet and mobile devices, Chinese social media has boomed. Social media platforms provide an open communication platform where people can express their opinions and emotions through various forms such as text, pictures and videos. This open nature makes social media one of the important channels of public opinion.
Research significance
It is of great significance to study the shaping and influencing mechanism of Chinese social media in public opinion. First of all, understanding the shaping and influencing mechanism of social media can help us better understand the process and law of social opinion formation. Secondly, the increasing influence of social media has had a profound impact on society, politics and culture. Studying its mechanism can provide reference for public opinion guidance and social governance. Finally, social media also involves important issues such as information dissemination and freedom of speech, and studying its mechanism can help us better balance the relationship between information dissemination and freedom of speech.
Literature review
In the research of domestic and foreign scholars, there have been a lot of research results on the shaping and influencing mechanism of social media in public opinion. Foreign studies mainly focus on the communication effect of social media, information diffusion, user behavior and so on. However, domestic researches pay more attention to the public opinion guidance, political communication, cultural inheritance and other aspects of social media. These studies provide important references for us to further explore the shaping and influencing mechanism of Chinese social media in public opinion.
Research objectives and methods
The research objective of this paper is to deeply analyze the shaping and influencing mechanism of Chinese social media on public opinion, and explore its influence on society, politics and culture. In order to achieve this goal, this paper will adopt literature research method, case analysis method and other methods to comprehensively understand the shaping and influencing mechanism of Chinese social media through the analysis of relevant literature and actual cases, and put forward corresponding conclusions and suggestions.
By studying the shaping and influencing mechanism of Chinese social media in public opinion, we can better understand the role and influence of social media, and provide reference for social opinion guidance and social governance.
Ii. Overview of the development of social media in China
Types and characteristics of social media platforms
There are various types of social media platforms in China, including Weibo, wechat, Douyin, Kuaishou, etc. Each platform has its own unique features and capabilities. For example, Weibo is a social media platform similar to Twitter, where users can post content such as text, pictures and videos and interact with other users. Wechat is a comprehensive social media platform that integrates instant messaging, social circles and payment functions. Douyin and Kuaishou are social media platforms with short videos as the main form of content, and users can create and share short video content.
User size and activity analysis
The number of social media users in China is large and active. According to statistics, by the end of 2023, the total number of users of China’s social media platforms has exceeded 1 billion. Among them, wechat and Weibo are the most popular social media platforms, with 800 million and 500 million users respectively. Short video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou have also risen rapidly in recent years, with more than 300 million users. These data show that the scale of social media users in China is huge, and user activity is also very high.
The popularity and penetration of social media
The penetration and penetration rate of social media in China is also increasing. With the popularity of smartphones and the development of web technology, more and more people are starting to use social media platforms. According to the data, by the end of 2023, the penetration rate of social media in China has reached 70%, and the penetration rate has exceeded 60%. Especially among young people, social media penetration is higher and penetration is greater. This shows that social media has become an indispensable part of Chinese People’s Daily life and has great significance in shaping and influencing public opinion.
To sum up, the development profile of China’s social media shows the characteristics of rich platform types, large user scale and high activity. The popularity and penetration rate of social media is also increasing, which plays an important role in shaping and influencing public opinion in China.
Third, social media public opinion generation mechanism
The mechanism of public opinion generation in social media mainly includes user behavior and information transmission mode, public opinion formation process of hot events, emotion analysis and viewpoint polarization.
User behavior and information dissemination mode
User behavior and information dissemination mode are important factors in the generation of social media public opinion. On social media platforms, users can express their opinions and emotions by Posting comments, liking, forwarding, commenting and other behaviors. User behavior affects the speed and scope of information spread on social media. Some users have a high influence, and their comments are often concerned and forwarded, which has a greater influence on the formation of public opinion.
The dissemination of information on social media has the characteristics of rapid and extensive. When a hot event occurs, users often obtain and disseminate relevant information through social media platforms at the first time. This mode of information dissemination enables public opinion to form and spread rapidly in a short time.
The process of public opinion formation of hot events
The public opinion formation process of hot events usually goes through the following stages: outbreak, dissemination, controversy and precipitation. When a hot event breaks out, users will publish relevant information through social media platforms, and cause widespread attention and forwarding. In the process of information dissemination, different views and opinions will be fiercely contested. This controversy can often be expressed through comments and replies on social media platforms. Eventually, with the passage of time, public opinion will gradually settle down and form relatively stable views and attitudes.
The public opinion formation process of hot events is affected by many factors, such as the importance of the event, the associated people and organizations, and emotional factors. At the same time, the algorithms and recommendation systems of social media platforms will also have a certain impact on the formation of public opinion. By analyzing users’ behaviors and interests, social media platforms can push relevant information to users and further influence the direction of public opinion.
Sentiment analysis and viewpoint polarization
Sentiment analysis is an important part of social media public opinion generation mechanism. Users on social media tend to express their emotional attitudes through emotional words and emojis. Sentiment analysis can help us understand the emotional tendency behind the formation of public opinion.
The phenomenon of opinion polarization refers to the tendency of users to have extreme views on social media. This is due to the existence of information filtering and recommendation algorithms on social media platforms. Users tend to contact and pay attention to information similar to their own views, and this process of information screening and aggregation will further increase the degree of polarization of views.
In short, the mechanism of public opinion generation in social media is a complex process, which is influenced by user behavior, information transmission mode, hot events, as well as the interweaving effect of many factors such as sentiment analysis and viewpoint polarization. Understanding and studying these mechanisms can help us better understand how social media shapes and influences public opinion.
The impact of social media on public opinion
As a new form of media, social media plays an important role in shaping and influencing public opinion. Here are three ways social media can influence public opinion.
One of the characteristics of social media is the immediacy and universality of information dissemination. Through social media platforms, users can post information in real time and quickly spread it to a large audience. This rapid dissemination makes social media one of the important channels for the public to obtain news and event information. Whether it is an emergency, a hot social topic or a political dynamic, social media can quickly transmit relevant information to the public and trigger a wide range of public opinion discussions.
On social media, some influential and professional users are called opinion leaders or big V. They influence a large number of fans and followers through their words and opinions. These opinion leaders and big V’s have a wide influence on social media platforms, and their remarks are often able to guide and shape public opinion. Their views and attitudes often become the focus of public discussion and have a significant impact on the direction of public opinion.
The impact of the rise of social media on traditional media cannot be ignored. In the past, traditional media was the main force leading public opinion, but with the popularity and development of social media, the influence of online public opinion is increasing. The public opinion response on social media can quickly spread to traditional media, causing media attention and reports. Traditional media also pay more and more attention to public opinion on social media, taking it as an important source of information and reference, which further promotes the influence of social media on public opinion.
To sum up, the shaping and influencing mechanism of social media on public opinion is mainly reflected in the immediacy and extensiveness of information transmission, the roles of opinion leaders and network big V, and the influence of network public opinion on traditional media. These mechanisms have made social media an important platform for the public to obtain information and express views, which has had a profound impact on public opinion.
As an important channel for information dissemination, social media plays an important role in shaping and influencing public opinion. In China, both the government and companies are actively intervening in social media opinion to maximize their own interests.
Government and enterprise intervention strategies on social media public opinion
The intervention strategies of government and enterprises in social media public opinion have different focuses. The government controls the direction of public opinion by releasing official information, guiding public opinion, and deleting information that does not reflect well on its own image. Companies intervene in social media by hiring online commentators, publishing their own opinions and messages, and conducting publicity campaigns.
Although the intervention strategies of the government and enterprises can shape public opinion to a certain extent, they also face the public’s doubts and distrust of the authenticity of information. Therefore, in the guidance and management of social media public opinion, the construction of self-discipline and heteronomy mechanism is particularly important.
The construction of self-discipline and heteronomy mechanism
In order to regulate the communication of public opinion on social media, self-discipline and heteronomy are introduced into the social media industry. Self-regulatory mechanisms include the establishment of industry standards and norms, the improvement of user agreements and privacy policies, and the establishment of complaints and oversight bodies. These mechanisms aim to protect the legitimate rights and interests of users, safeguard public interests, and promote the healthy development of the social media industry.
The self-regulatory mechanism is complemented by the heteronomy mechanism, that is, the government’s regulation and management of the social media industry. The government reviews and manages the content of social media platforms through the formulation and enforcement of laws and regulations to ensure the legality and fairness of information dissemination.
Public opinion monitoring and crisis response
In the guidance and management of social media public opinion, public opinion monitoring and crisis response are crucial links. By monitoring public opinions and emotions on social media, the government and enterprises can timely understand social hot spots and public opinion trends, and make corresponding countermeasures. At the same time, crisis response also requires the government and enterprises to respond quickly and take effective measures to resolve the negative impact of the crisis and public opinion.
To sum up, the shaping and influencing mechanism of social media on public opinion is a complex and diversified process. The intervention strategy of the government and enterprises, the construction of self-discipline and heteronomy mechanism, as well as public opinion monitoring and crisis response are all important links. Only through reasonable guidance and management can the healthy development of social media public opinion and the maximization of social benefits be realized.
Case studies of typical public opinion events
In the development process of Chinese social media, many typical public opinion events have emerged, which provide valuable case studies on the shaping and influencing mechanism of public opinion. Here are a few typical cases:
Outbreak in 2019
In early 2020, when the novel coronavirus outbreak broke out in China, social media became an important channel for people to obtain information and spread public opinion. Through social media platforms, the public can quickly learn about the latest situation of the epidemic and comment on the government’s prevention and control measures in real time. At the same time, social media has also become a hotbed for the spread of rumors, which has a certain negative impact on epidemic prevention and control. In this case, the mechanism of social media shaping and influencing public opinion was fully demonstrated.
The 2018 college entrance examination essay question incident
In the 2018 National College entrance examination, the essay title “Reasons for liking Someone” caused widespread controversy. Social media has quickly become a popular platform for discussion of the essay questions in the college entrance examination, and the public’s positions and opinions on the essay questions have been widely disseminated on social media. The incident triggered reflection and discussion on the education system and the college entrance examination system, which had a profound impact on public opinion.
Quantitative evaluation of impact
How to quantitatively evaluate the mechanism of social media shaping and influencing public opinion has become an important issue. The following are several commonly used quantitative evaluation methods:
Network public opinion monitoring
Through the network public opinion monitoring system, the public opinion on social media can be tracked and analyzed in real time. These systems can collect vast amounts of social media data and use techniques such as natural language processing and machine learning for sentiment analysis and topic mining to quantify the influence and bias of public opinion.
User behavior analysis
By analyzing users’ behavior on social media, it is possible to understand their level of attention and attitudes toward specific events. For example, users’ behaviors such as retweets, comments and likes, as well as the people and topics they follow on social media, can be analyzed to determine the impact of public opinion.
Public opinion effect survey
The actual impact of social media on public opinion can be understood by conducting regular public opinion effectiveness surveys. Surveys can be conducted through questionnaires, in-depth interviews and other ways to conduct quantitative or qualitative assessments of different public opinion events and target groups, so as to obtain relatively objective quantitative results.
To sum up, through the study of typical cases and the quantitative evaluation of influence effects, we can better understand the shaping and influencing mechanism of Chinese social media on public opinion. This has important guiding significance for the development of social media and the guidance of public opinion.
Vii. Challenges and Problems
The spread of false information and network rumors
The fast-spreading nature of social media platforms has led to the widespread spread of false information and online rumors.
Because the information review mechanism is not perfect, false information can often spread quickly and affect a large number of users.
The spread of Internet rumors has also caused a bad impact on society, which may lead to panic and social instability.
Privacy protection and information security
On Chinese social media, the issue of users’ personal privacy has been a concern.
Some social media platforms carry the risk of personal information leakage, which can lead to the misuse of user information.
User privacy protection and information security are aspects that social media platforms need to pay attention to and improve.
Public opinion bubble and group polarization
The algorithm recommendation mechanism of social media often exposes users to the same information as their own views, leading to the phenomenon of public opinion bubble and group polarization.
This phenomenon will not
