Research On Self-presentation Of Rural Left-behind Women In Kuai Shou Short Video

As a vulnerable group in the media,the group of rural left-behind women has long been presented one-sidedly by the mass media in a fixed manner,so that this group often exists in the eyes of the public as backward,obscurant,and ignorant stereotypes.With the sinking of new media technology,social short videos provide a stage for rural left-behind women to present themselves,and they can get the opportunity to speak up and show their true self-image.Using the research method of content analysis and in-depth interviews,this paper investigates in detail 500 short video samples of rural left-behind women,and collects the transcripts of 30 interviewees to explore what kind of self-image and characteristics rural left-behind women present in Kuai Shou short videos,what factors affect the self-presentation of this group,what value the group’s self-presentation has,and what problems need to be reflected.The study found that the types of videos released by rural left-behind women in Kuai Shou short videos are rich,including documentary,melodrama,talent show and social beautification.Meanwhile,the self-construction of the image of rural left-behind women has significant group characteristics: in terms of role image,rural left-behind women have a strong sense of family identity and attach importance to the "regenerative family" formed with their husbands;in terms of external image,rural left-behind women complete the narrative with the expressive power of their bodies,presenting distinct faces,action behavior and other factors for self-empowerment.In addition,rural left-behind women publicize the private sphere to show the dilapidated family landscape.In general,rural left-behind women in Kuai Shou short videos present a variety of images,mainly including "the traditional female image of hardworking and competent","the modern female image of independence and self-reliance","the exquisite female image of beautiful and confident" and "the tragic female image of weak and helpless".Behind the behavior of presentation,rural left-behind women inherently construct their self-image in Kuai Shou short videos for the needs of entertainment and leisure,seeking emotional support,making up for educational deficiencies and earning economic benefits.At the same time,the support of national policies for rural left-behind women,the long-term impact of social and family division of labor,and the guidance of Kuai Shou platform have also created an external environment for rural left-behind women groups to present themselves on the short video platform.The research shows that rural left-behind women have gained a broader stage by short videos,and to a certain extent,it is beneficial to promote the self-identity of rural left-behind women and improve their individual subjective well-being.At the same time,it can also change their role identity and inspire new social values.However,due to the limitation of individual conditions of rural left-behind women,self-presentation tends to be superficial.Moreover,the entertainment and commercialized tendencies of short video platform makes rural left-behind women fall into a landscaping orgy of self-presentation.At the same time,under the empowerment of technology,they do not have female subjectivity,on the contrary,they can understand the underlying logic of the platform and subtly cover their own subjectivity.Therefore,there is a paradox in presenting subjectivity.In the face of the current problems,it is necessary for rural women left behind to make changes themselves,and it is also necessary for the government,the media,the platform and the public to provide corresponding support.