Webcast:An Analysis Of The Construction Of New Tribes

As mobile Internet technology proceeds,the webcast industry has entered "the mobile broadcast first year" in 2016.From then on,webcast has been bursting out and has launched a "broadcast boom" under the popular audience and capital frenzy.Webcast not only provides individuals with space for self-expression and self-display,but also increasingly becomes a medium for youth groups to connect and interact with each other.On one hand,based on the attractiveness of the anchor’s personal charisma,young individuals from different regions and different social backgrounds have gathered in the live studio;On the other hand,users interact with the anchor by sending a barrage or rewarding virtual gifts,creating an interactive landscape of collective joy in a shared emotional atmosphere.With progressively profound daily interactions,the reconstructive role of webcast on youth gathering and interaction begin to show up.A new type of social model emerges and changes the survival patterns of youth groups.In this context,the aggregation and communication of youth groups in webcast rooms are becoming more and more noteworthy.In order to explore the significance and influence of webcast on youth groups’social communication,this thesis starts with the micro-interaction and analyzes the aggregate behavior and interactive behavior of young people in webcast rooms through a combination of quantitative questionnaires,case interviews and participation observations.The research figures out that webcast is an attempt to build a new tribe based on the interests of the young people in individualized tide,with anchors as the center and the emotions as the link.Based on common interests,tribal members gather in the same studio;based on the common atmosphere and emotional experiences,tribesmen establish an emotional connection centered on the anchor,complete self-identity confirmation in the role-shaping,develop a sense of identity and belonging to the group and generate emotional dependence on the anchor in the ritual interactions;Moreover,through quantitative analysis,the research has found that this sense of identity and belonging to the group,as well as the emotional dependence on the anchor are positively correlated to the frequency of interaction.In addition,while satisfying the social needs of youth groups,the webcast also reshapes the aggregation and interaction modes of youth groups,making the online new tribe’s relationship construction show a series of characteristics based on social interest,emphasizing atmosphere creation,entertainment with attitude and emotion sharing that are different from previous groups.At the same time,due to their dilemma in the opposition between individual and collective,freedom and security,virtual and reality,young groups’ social relationship in the online new tribes are often cut off within the live studio.It is difficult for them to extend the relationship from online to offline,and it is difficult to develop lasting and deep intimate relationship,too.In essence,it is manifested as a kind of "tactile relationship".