Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote

As young people begin to enact their agency and autonomy to share moments of everyday adolescence online, it can be challenging for them to strategically navigate the complicated digital sphere and maintain their digital fame and persona. This study investigates how adolescent Chinese international...

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Main Author: Wenxiang Zeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-07-01
Series:Social Media + Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356160
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author Wenxiang Zeng
author_facet Wenxiang Zeng
author_sort Wenxiang Zeng
collection DOAJ
description As young people begin to enact their agency and autonomy to share moments of everyday adolescence online, it can be challenging for them to strategically navigate the complicated digital sphere and maintain their digital fame and persona. This study investigates how adolescent Chinese international student lifestyle bloggers/vloggers become conspicuous influencers on the Chinese social media platform RedNote, through the performance of desirable girlhood and authentic sisterhood. The performance of girlhood is grounded in presentations of family love and care, an accomplishment of youth autonomy and competence, and a nuanced mixture of Chineseness and cosmopolitanism. The performed sisterhood is polished to be authentic thanks to well-curated amateur aesthetics, an approachable persona, and reciprocal female sistership. Their careful performances help them negotiate the tensions concerning age, class, gender, and nationhood in China’s social media entertainment ecosystem.
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spelling doaj-art-8a4c993daaf94592841731ea8505c46f2025-08-20T03:51:02ZengSAGE PublishingSocial Media + Society2056-30512025-07-011110.1177/20563051251356160Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNoteWenxiang Zeng0School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong KongAs young people begin to enact their agency and autonomy to share moments of everyday adolescence online, it can be challenging for them to strategically navigate the complicated digital sphere and maintain their digital fame and persona. This study investigates how adolescent Chinese international student lifestyle bloggers/vloggers become conspicuous influencers on the Chinese social media platform RedNote, through the performance of desirable girlhood and authentic sisterhood. The performance of girlhood is grounded in presentations of family love and care, an accomplishment of youth autonomy and competence, and a nuanced mixture of Chineseness and cosmopolitanism. The performed sisterhood is polished to be authentic thanks to well-curated amateur aesthetics, an approachable persona, and reciprocal female sistership. Their careful performances help them negotiate the tensions concerning age, class, gender, and nationhood in China’s social media entertainment ecosystem.https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356160
spellingShingle Wenxiang Zeng
Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote
Social Media + Society
title Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote
title_full Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote
title_fullStr Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote
title_full_unstemmed Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote
title_short Performing Girlhood and Sisterhood in China: Chinese International Student Influencers’ Everyday Self-Presentation on RedNote
title_sort performing girlhood and sisterhood in china chinese international student influencers everyday self presentation on rednote
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051251356160
work_keys_str_mv AT wenxiangzeng performinggirlhoodandsisterhoodinchinachineseinternationalstudentinfluencerseverydayselfpresentationonrednote