Home virtuality and the platformized life of Chinese international students in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article examines a nascent phenomenon in which a cluster of digital platforms mimicking popular Chinese apps has popped up in various cities in the United Kingdom (UK). They have been eagerly adopted by a strong clientele composed mainly of Chinese international students and young working migrants from China. Drawing on data we gathered from the British city of Manchester, one of the most popular destinations for Chinese international students, we propose the concept of home virtuality to illustrate how Chinese student migrants’ frequent surfing of these Chinese-style digital platforms has created a ‘virtual home’ that is quite reminiscent of the platformized lifestyle in China, and that thus offers them a sense of connection to home. We argue that this ‘home virtuality’ does not only imply a virtual connection but is also a home environment materialized through the familiar app services of the new Chinese platform businesses in the UK.