Entertainment Education and Citizens’ Participation in COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Case Study of Chinese Citizens on Social Media

Abstract

(1) Background: Chinese citizens using entertainment education (EE) strategies on social media have played a pivotal role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, especially when facing insufficient government support. Thus, this research aims to study the adoption of EE strategies on social media by Chinese citizens and its affordance for crisis responses. (2) Methods: We implemented a qualitative case study by analyzing the vlog series Wuhan Diary 2020 on Sina Weibo to examine the characteristics of the EE strategies used by Chinese citizens, with special attention to citizen participation. (3) Results: The initial phases of the lockdown saw substantial public attention garnered by this approach. The incorporation of solidarity and empathy proved essential for effective communication during the period of crisis response, evident from positive audience feedback and its widespread diffusion. However, a decrease in attention concurrent with the end of the lockdown has also been noticed. (4) Conclusions: The social value and affordance of EE strategies employed by citizens in the short term was confirmed. However, the decline of attention in the post-crisis period indicates the uncertainty of the long-term impact of this approach. This phenomenon also underscores the ambivalence of social media due to the limitations imposed by digital capitalism.