Virtual Ethnographic Research On The Relationship Between Social Media Usage And Self-identity Of Left-behind Children

In the process of urbanization,the visible gap between urban and rural areas gradually widen.In order to improve the living standards to acquire higher income,a large number of farmers chose to fled into the cities,seeking better chances of employment.Although the basic survival problem has been solved,due to the restriction of the household registration system and the reality,countless urban migrant workers have left their children who are forced to stay in the countryside,those children are called left-behind children.Due to the long-term separation from parents,the family function is weakened due to the lack of affection.The research of this special group is more urgent and necessary,and social media becomes the pathway to understand the status quo of left-behind children.The research object is Baidu Left-behind Children Post Bar,by means of method of virtual ethnography,collecting the text information through non-participatory observation.Through online fieldwork,summarized the significance of social media,such as Baidu Post Bar,to left-behind children.More importantly,through the analysis of content,self-presentation and self-identity of left-behind children on social media platformscould be understood,on the basis to which discuss relationship between the two factors.Research mainly from four aspects,that is,social context build up by the social media.Through the way of Python data,the information of Left-behind Children Post bar would be collected,including the group of order,information dissemination process,basic post-bar members' stratification and essence for the information distribution.Through the online field survey the author fully understands the survival status of the left-behind group.However,how does social media influence the "self-presentation" and "self-identity" of left-behind groups? The study found that the anonymity of social context was given,and the "self-presentation" of left-behind children in social environment appeared in the way of pessimistic and negative.At the same time,identity mainly comes from introverted self-identity reconstruction,and strengthen by outgoing social identity.Finally,the author believes that the usage of social media could enhance the cohesion and identity of the left-behind group and improve the social understanding,and arouse the public's attention to the low socioeconomic status of the left-behind children...