| Code | 825J |
| Title | Prevalence of Tricks, Porn and Political Jokes: A Study of SMS as an Alternative Digital Media in Mainland China |
| Author | Jiang Wei & Wang Yi |
| Affiliation | Information and Communication Management Program, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore |
| Abstract |
The fast development of new Information Communication Technology (ICTs)
has brought us with new digital media and diversified communication channels
which enable free global information flow beyond conventional borders
and boundaries. Short Message Service (SMS) is one of these new digital
communication channels, which has rapidly risen to a prominent status
that it was arguably considered as "the Fifth Media".
With the largest number of mobile phone users in the world, China's social situation with the prevalence of SMS usage is of great interest to us. Statistics of the year 2002 showed that among every four SMS sent in the world, one is sent by Mainland Chinese. SMS news service is so widely used that it has become one of the major revenue sources for many Chinese news websites. In contrast with the large amount of SMS usage is the vacuum of effective regulation and censorship from the Chinese government due to technical and legislative reasons. However, unlike the Internet, SMS as a new digital media and its social impact in China seems to receive much less scholarly thought than it deserves. In this study, we are trying to explore the following research questions:
The methodology of combining content analysis and qualitative interviews was employed in this study. A number of strategically selected Chinese mobile phone user's SMS usage during a certain period was self-recorded and used as the basis for the content analysis. Then qualitative interviews were conducted with these users to further explore their perceptions and related social changes. Based on the findings of the study, this paper argued that SMS has basically become an established alternative digital media in Mainland China. However, its usage is significantly featured as a highly decentralized, civilian communication tool. Tricks, porn jokes dominated the information flow in SMS usage of Chinese mobile phone users. Political jokes also constituted a significant component of Chinese SMS. The consumption of news and information through SMS was proved to be mainly entertaining. In this sense, SMS communication functions as a relief of social pressure and a deviance of orthodox or authority which is consistent with the characteristics of post-modernity. SMS also serves as an alternative channel for civil expression and communication of political and public affairs. Actually, the prevalence of political jokes as a unique interpretation of political celebrity and affairs is deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of China. In modern China, this emergence of alternative digital media acts as a mirror reflecting a rising Chinese civil society. |