In the societal milieu of China, the resonating presence of the Internet and new age ICTs has come to weave the working class population together. Firstly, it needs to be comprehended that China is a country where the media is highly regulated by the state authorities. The political scenario in the country does not provide much space for subversive opinion-building or discussion that might come to thwart the state policies or perspectives. Also, the state authorities have a propagandist approach so as to garner the support of the general masses of the society. This is done to strengthen the cause and actions of the governance. In a country where the regulations and censorships have a role to play in the society, activism on the Internet has come to be the new mode of raising the awareness of the masses regarding any particular aspect that needs attention of the common people of the country.
It needs to be reckoned that China has only one political party, and so there is no scope for having a democratic setup in the political sphere of the society. The Communist Party has its machinery to influence the masses and convince them of the correctness of the government’s action. However, to be objective and fair, one should understand the importance of having a free, unregulated space for public discussion and debate as the common people of the country too must have the rightful role to play in the constructive change of the Chinese society. The ICTs come to play the paramount role in this regard as the various technological platforms provide the people with the best possible options to communicate among themselves. The social networking platforms on the Internet or the smartphones have come to revolutionize the entire domain of communication in China.
While there is strict regulation on the part of the authorities, the working class people of the country have found the perfect mode of communication via the social media applications. “Social media is both at the center and the edge of this maelstrom involving Chinese workers facing increasing exploitation, state suppression, yet refusing to succumb.” (Qiu, 2016) The workers of the Chinese society who are subjected to such exploitation or unfairness express their plight via the social media platforms to their peer groups. While mostly such news is never aired on the national news channel, newspaper or the radio, the personal story of injustice finds a voice of expression as it reaches out to innumerable users of social media in the country. The strict regulations of the state authorities fail to curb the dissemination of such information over the social media platforms or applications.
Since the use of ICTs or Internet does not tax too much on the monetary conditions of the people of the society, it can very well be understood that the subaltern or the poor people of the country find a strong voice via the platforms of communication. There are a number of social media tools like Weblog, QQ, vlog, WeChat and Weibo that have come to add to the toolkit of the working class people of the country, thereby making way for resistance against the oppressive acts meted out to the people. The age of ICTs thus stands in stark contrast to the previous century where a person would hardly have a chance of expressing his or her plight to the larger section of the society due to the absence of such modes of communication technology. It can be said that the ICTs and new media platforms have come to subvert the state regulation and influence over the kind of news that is disseminated in the society. Now, even the common people have a strong voice for reaching out to others asking for awareness, attention and even calling for action.
“One of the fascinating aspects about online activism in China is precisely its ambiguous nature. Sometimes it takes the form of protest; at other times, it borders on dissent but is not clearly so.” (Yang, 2009) One can be reminiscent of High Tech, Low Life, directed by Stephen Maing that advocates for justice for the poor people. The film could be made only after the advent of new technological devices providing voice to the common people. On the other hand, Ai Weiwei’s Appeal, a documentary showing Ai’s 81-day imprisonment could be made due to the rise of ICTs in China. The critical acclaim and popularity of this film testifies to the immense power of communication in the present era. (Ai Weiwei, 2014) While in Maoist China political dissent was truly a risky thing, today, more and more people are coming forward on the online platforms to unite against socio-political ills in China. Such dynamics have found vehement expression in the urban public spaces, the decentralization of the media, the enhancement of popular protest and the increase in associational life in the public sphere.
References
Ai Weiwei. (2014, Dec. 22). Ai Weiwei’s Appeal [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVQzrteear8
Qiu, J.L. (2016-forthcoming). Social Media on the Picket Line. Media, Culture, Society.
Yang, G. (2009). The Power of Internet in China: Citizen activism online (pp.1-24). New
York: Columbia University Press.
