Douyin, storytelling, and national discourse

Abstract

Following its debut in China, TikTok has become the first short video platform to gain global popularity. The world’s obsession with TikTok can be attributed to its creative methods for content generation and dissemination. These attributes heralded the arrival of a new era in which, with the rise of grassroots creators on short video platforms, cultural production and consumption have been profoundly changed. Through examining Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), this study delves into the important but under-investigated consensus-building function of TikTok/Douyin to unveil how social media can be used to create a citizens’ platform for unity and cohesion. TikTok has led a new generation of global culture not through content innovation but through technology innovation; this has improved China’s soft power through strengthening its digital power. This paper provides insights onto the role of digital innovation in national discourse.