What is the reason of WECHAT is the most popular social media in China?
The inception of new technology in the world led to the shaping of the sociological structures. Scientists developed numerous platforms that promoted the interaction of individuals. The new technology made the world a global village, and this was enhanced by the development of social media platforms that facilitated communications that went beyond borders and across oceans and seas (Hall,np).
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media, but there are several Hollywood stars are also using it.
There exist a variety of social media sites where individuals sign up and interact with family and friend. The sites have made it easier for faster and instant messaging. Some of these sites allow both voice and video chats, and this has transformed as well as enhanced socialization in the world.
WeChat is a social media site that is of Chinese origin. It is an application that allows its users to engage in instant messaging, payment and commerce services.
The app facilitates a multimodal environment that promotes interaction in a semi-synchronous, synchronous, and asynchronous manner via video conferencing, texts, and audio. The software applies to mobile phones making it among the largest messaging apps (Luo and Lu, np). The app performs different functions making it the most innovative and versatile application. The site has assisted many individuals in conducting their day to day activities due to the various services it offers. Its users can access different services under one roof thus making it the most preferred app compared to Google play or any other App store apps (Shafiq and Yu, p.12).
As a social media platform, WeChat has established a variety of norms that aim at regulation how its members interact with each other. The norms uphold the highest level of ethics.
Some of the group norms include; the users should always be mindful of their audience (SCIS - Hongqiao Campus News | SCIS - Hongqiao Campus). They should do this via respecting the sensibilities of individuals they interact with or the different groups. Another important norm is that of refraining from communicating with one or two individuals in a group. Â It is significant for social media to maintain the desired balance between publicity and seclusion, or it will cause massive adverse effects, even the users' dissatisfaction (Marwick,p.379, 383).
The above norms are established via the institution of terms and conditions that focus on restricting the users from engaging in prohibited activities. Avoiding spreading rumors or gossip and always being conscious of the frequency of sending messages and the time when one sends them is another imperative norm (SCIS - Hongqiao Campus News | SCIS - Hongqiao Campus). Furthermore, the social site focus on avoiding the development of unnecessary wrangles among its users. Therefore, it has instituted a norm that acts as a guide to anger.it stipulates that whenever a user is angry, he or she should put down their phone.
If you disagree with some information, you could just complain it.
Another important factor of evading anger is advising its user to refrain from posting anything that they feel uncomfortable with, and they should avoid engaging in debates or arguments as WeChat is not the perfect forum for such activities. The social media site has enlisted numerous group norms that aim at directing its users and encouraging them to maintain positivity in their social interactions (Zhang, np). For instance, it stresses on the avoidance of sarcasm to prevent issues that might arise due to misinterpretation. Besides, it also advocates for the avoidance of words or languages that are not appropriate especially in the family.
If some pages are not suitable for all age of people, the authority will block it immediately.
WeChat encourages its users always to keep their posts short and precise and that they should at all times act as role models whenever they engage in interacting with family and friends via social media to promote respect among children (Zhang,np). The above norms are established via a series of research as well as based on the complaints raised by users. The site administrators as well as the managerial team takes into account all the raised concerns and try to make quality adjustments with the aim of enhancing as well as proving their customers with quality and appropriate experience as they traverse across the social media site.
WeChat a Chinese based social media site, and the Chinese government uses it to its advantage. The government engages in social surveillance practices where it has an opportunity to clamp down on any form of dissent. In most cases, citizens organize protests, and the only way to get the message out is via engaging in social media. Platforms such as WeChat have millions of subscribers, and this makes it easy for one to pass the protest message.
The Chinese government has its eyes on this site, and this gives it an upper hand in curbing any forms of hullabaloos that might arise. For instance, in 2013, a protest was launched in Chengdu province ("Hello, Big Brother: How China Controls Its Citizens Through Social Media | Technology | DW | 31.03.2017"). The protesters were protesting against the utilization of a chemical that was hazardous. It is through social surveillance that the local government discovered this incident/plan. They reacted with immediate effect, and they instituted a policy that made school and works mandatory for every citizen during the day of the protest. Social surveillance helped in limiting the number of individuals who engaged in the protests.
The Chinese government engages in censoring of public posts. On the other hand, WeChat engages in the censoring of both group and private conversations and ban forbidden words. The app would then notify the user on the censorship. Social surveillance played an integral part where the Chinese government engaged in censoring messages that were deemed suspicious ("Hello, Big Brother: How China Controls Its Citizens Through Social Media | Technology | DW | 31.03.2017"). The Chinese government redefined the attainment of social capital in particular on the use of social media. It instituted a social credit score that focused on keeping tabs on the activities of its citizens. In the event where trust is broken, and the government imposed numerous banns/restrictions.
The social credit score is influenced by the general lifestyle of individuals, their social behavior, financial transactions, and political behavior. WeChat as a social media site helps the Chinese government in gathering all the necessary information required to control as well as maintain social surveillance.
WeChat is an attractive social media site that many Chinese citizens have ascribed to as it helps in promoting interactions as well as conducting other necessary activities. Therefore, the social site affords a catch that cannot be undone as individuals have assimilated its existence and incorporated it as part of their day to day life. The social media site presents with icons that help in communication (Xing, np). For instance, there exist message icons that aim at directing users on where to access the required information.it also contains a settings icon and beneath it, there exist numerous directions that work towards providing the users with an experience that is breathtaking. The affordances of WeChat include the compatibility of the electronic devices where they all have access to the internet. Therefore, this suggests that for the app to work effectively, there must be an internet connection (Xing, np). The app cannot function unless the user connects the device hosting the app to the web servers.
The affordances can be communicated via sensitization of the users (Hutchby, p.447,449). The company that engages in the development of the app have provided users with manuals or descriptions of the various components that facilitate a smooth running of the application. Furthermore, the communication can be carried out via automatic system upgrades where the app connected to the internet performs some changes while notifying the users of the fundamental changes that have been made. It is usually done with the aim of acquainting the users with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate the systems and promote efficient usability as well as adaptation to the app.
The above affordances can be co-opted for disruptive acts in a variety of ways. First, the system updates can be used by ill-intentioned individuals to hack into the financial systems of WeChat users where they might commit acts of fraud against the users (Wang, et al.). Furthermore, private information of users can be accessed without permission by the hackers, therefore, leading to tainting their images of conducting criminal activities. Ill-intentioned individuals can illegally access accounts of innocent people and post uncouth messages. Due to the existence of social surveillance, the Chinese government might institute punishment to innocent people who fall victim of cyberbullying or even cyber hacking (Wang, et al.). Therefore, the affordances play an essential role in social media but in some cases, they might create mishaps that lead to disruptive acts.
WeChat is a social media platform that has resulted in massive transformations in China. It has promoted changes in the social as well as economic sectors. Furthermore, the government has benefited from the app as it has made progress towards monitoring any disruptive acts planned by citizens.it is through social surveillance that the Chinese government has had massive changes and implementation that has enabled it to curb any ill-intended action by its citizens. For instance, the government has made progress in averting unnecessary protests by citizens.
It is evident that the development of modern technology revolutionized communication and many individuals have assimilated the use of social media to conduct different transactions. The government is on the forefront as it utilized this platform as well as forms rules and regulations that govern the use of social media. The affordances also play an imperative role in ensuring that the users adapt to the app, but they can be misused by individuals to cause havoc, but WeChat brought numerous advantages than disadvantages in social interactions.
"Hello, Big Brother: How China Controls Its Citizens Through Social Media | Technology | DW | 31.03.2017."Â DW.COM, www.dw.com/en/hello-big-brother-how-china-controls-its-citizens-through-social-media/a-38243388.
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