‘Push-and-pull’ for visibility: how do fans as users negotiate over algorithms with Chinese digital platforms?

ABSTRACTABSTRACTIn the algorithmic era, both users and the platform battle for visibility. Chinese fans are savvy users who explore the hidden algorithms behind platform functions. With the collectively developed algorithmic imaginary, digital fandom communities negotiate with the platform over algorithms to optimize the visibility of celebrities they endorse. Drawing from participatory observation and semi-structured interviews in Chinese online fandoms of an idol group, INTO1, we detailed how fans as digital users collectively explore, interpret, and creatively utilize algorithms to increase their idol's visibility. We conclude that visibility, as a representation of algorithm power, is co-defined through the constant push-and-pull between digital users and the platform. This paper contributes to both algorithm and fandom studies by describing large-scale non-professional users' daily construction of the algorithmic imaginary in the unique context of Chinese fandom and beyond. It also discusses broader civic implications of fans' algorithmic practices to wider digital users in China.KEYWORDS: Algorithmic imaginaryChinese Internetdigital fandomplatformvisibility AcknowledgementsWe are grateful for the valuable feedback and generous help from Kinjal Dave, Chenyu Dong, Assil Frayha, Jia Guo, Yphtach Lelkes, Andong Li, Mariela Morales Suárez, Wenjing Pan, Julia Ticona, Guobin Yang, Tian Yang, Yiyi Yin, and Zhiqiu Benson Zhou (alphabetical order) on this project. We also want to thank the anonymous members from the INTO1 fandom who helped the interviews and explained some algorithmic strategies for us.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingSupported by fund for building world-class universities (disciplines) of 10.13039/501100004260 Renmin University of China (Project No. 2022XWTD001).Notes on contributorsYiyan ZhangYiyan Zhang (Ph.D., Boston University) is an assistant professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China. Her research combines computational and traditional social science methods to study digital media effects, civic engagement online, and international communication [email: zhangyiyan@ruc.edu.cn].Shengchun HuangShengchun Huang is a PhD candidate at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research examines the algorithmic effects on news consumption and people's perceptions of algorithm-related phenomena [email: shengchun.huang@asc.upenn.edu].Tong LiTong Li is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of New Media at Peking University. Her research focuses on the cyber cultural studies, fandom studies, and teenagers' Internet literacy [email: li-tong@pku.edu.cn].