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Javnost - The Public, Vol. 31 - 2024, No. 4
Exploring the Sociological Impact of Wechat: Reshaping the Public from the Theoretical Perspective of Modernity
This article aims to explore the social significance of WeChat as a form of new media. It argues that, on a personal level, WeChat resulted in a paradox of both “connection” and “aloneness,” accelerating the trend of individualism. At the communal level, the temporariness of WeChat hastened the decay and transformation of communities within contemporary society. On a societal scale, WeChat has redefined the meaning and value of public spaces, effectively reshaping the public of the new media era. It concludes that new media exemplified by WeChat can be seen as an amplifier and accelerator of modernity.
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