[Last modified: November, 13 2024 12:52 PM]
My project focuses on studying the online engagement activities of K-pop fans. I recognize that my political stance and related political issues play a significant role in this research.
Reflecting on my own positionality, I am a member of the Chinese Communist Party, and one of the obligations of party members is to comply with national laws and regulations and to lead by practicing socialist core values. Therefore, I tend to be relatively critical of fan behaviors that violate national laws or moral norms in their online engagement activities. Although I am also a K-pop fan, considering the large number of minors in the fan community, I advocate for proper guidance and persuasion regarding fans’ production and consumption behaviors.
Additionally, international relations are a factor to consider. In 2016, China implemented the “Korean Wave Restriction,” limiting the spread of Korean cultural activities in China, including restricting large-scale performances by Korean artists and banning Korean TV programs from being broadcast on Chinese television. This led fans, unable to participate in offline fan activities, to turn to online engagement to meet their needs. Some fans also stopped liking Korean artists due to political stance issues.
This research project also involves issues of freedom of speech and censorship. In online fan communities, conflicts often arise, with serious instances of cyberbullying, including insults and abuse towards other fans and idols, the posting of edited horror and violent images, and even the release of other fans’ personal information, posing threats to their privacy and safety. Various digital platforms have introduced measures to curb these behaviors. For example, Weibo has introduced a reporting feature where users can complain posts, including categories such as violent content, unfriendly speech, and fan circle violations, which helps regulate online speech to some extent.
Political stances also influence fans’ choices. K-pop idols sometimes publicly support certain social movements or express their political views. Some idols have made unfriendly remarks about other countries, causing conflicts with fans. Therefore, fans need to balance their support for idols with their personal political beliefs.
In conclusion, while this topic doesn’t stem from a strictly political perspective, many reasons behind k-pop culture and fan behavior are closely linked to political beliefs, national policies, regulations and moral norms. So this topic cannot be entirely separate from politics. To fully understand k-pop fans online behavior, it’s essential to look at the connections between their decisions and the broader policy environment from an interdisciplinary perspective.