An analysis of how Chinese Netizens, especially men, react to feminismthrough social media

Abstract

With the advancement of technology in recent years, social media has become an increasingly significant part of 
people’s everyday lives, while feminism is beginning to be recognized as the flow of information becomes more 
accessible. However, unlike in the West, different Chinese have varying perspectives and views of feminism; some 
interpret it as a female advantage, while others see it as a remedy to help Chinese women awaken. By commenting on 
the work of gender-specific bloggers who share knowledge and content about feminism on Douyin (Chinese “Tiktok”), 
this study investigates how different types of people, particularly men, respond differently to feminism from three 
different perspectives. According to the data, the public mainly addresses bloggers through sexualization, ad hominem 
attacks, and patriarchal dismissiveness. With these three characteristics in mind, different men view bloggers who 
support feminism differently, resulting in more or less diverse remarks for or against them. This study categorizes 
comments from various guys under various bloggers’ works presenting feminism in Douyin (China’s “TikTok”) and 
teaches viewers how to differentiate and recognize their categories.