TITLE:
“Recording a Beautiful Life”: A Qualitative Study of Users’ Perceptions and Productive Practices regarding “Positive Energy” Videos on Douyin
AUTHORS:
Tianyuhan Jiang
KEYWORDS:
Positive Energy, Affective Governance, Douyin, Platform Governance, Soft Power
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.15 No.9,
September
5,
2025
ABSTRACT: Drawing on nine semi-structured interviews and grounded theory analysis, this study explores how Douyin users perceive and engage with “positive energy” short videos, while “positive energy” is often seen as a top-down ideological construct, the findings reveal that users interpret and reproduce such content through diverse, emotionally situated, and context-specific practices. Users do not passively absorb state-aligned messages; rather, they negotiate meanings, regulate emotions, and selectively express identification through both compliance and subtle resistance. The study introduces the concept of Negotiated Positive-Affective Governance to describe how affective expression, ideological dissemination, and algorithmic mediation intersect in users’ everyday media practices. It contributes to the literature by shifting focus from institutional power to user agency, providing a grassroots perspective on how emotional politics and soft governance operate on Chinese short video platforms. Methodologically, it offers a replicable model for analyzing digital media experiences from an affect-centered perspective.