From Cultural Spectacle to "Collective Healing": A Study on Cross-Cultural Interaction of the "Becoming Chinese" Trend in the New Media Environment--A Mixed-Methods Analysis Based on Comment Data from Douyin and TikTok

Xingyue Chen

doi:10.70088/kbg5hz89

Authors

Xingyue Chen Communication University of China, Beijing, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70088/kbg5hz89

Keywords:

becoming chinese, cross-cultural communication, shared healing, embodied communication, short-video platforms, digital culture

Abstract

The Chinese lifestyle tagged "Becoming Chinese" has rapidly gained momentum on short-video platforms such as TikTok, representing a noteworthy phenomenon in contemporary digital culture. This trend transcends the boundaries of a mere cultural spectacle, evolving into a transnational movement centered on shared emotional restoration and psychological well-being. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative content analysis and sentiment analysis, to examine 2,309 short-video comments collected from both Douyin and TikTok. The findings reveal that overseas users frequently adopt low-threshold cultural symbols associated with Chinese daily life, such as drinking hot water and practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine, with the predominant emotional tone of their comments being positive and affirming. Through a mechanism characterized by overseas imitation followed by domestic response, Chinese and international users have collaboratively transformed Eastern slow-living wisdom into a form of digital wellness practice aimed at alleviating the pressures of modern social life. This research further explores how routine embodied practices serve as a medium for reconstructing cross-cultural connections in the digital age. By bridging embodied communication theory with cross-cultural communication studies, this paper offers an innovative pathway for promoting meaningful dialogue among diverse civilizations and contributes to a deeper understanding of how digital platforms facilitate the global circulation of cultural practices rooted in everyday life.

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