The Digital Hawker Economy in Dalian from the Perspective of Alienation of Labor: Logic, Connotation, and Pathways

Abstract

Analysis of the digital hawker economy in Dalian, within the context of global capital expansion and labor alienation, helps understand the dialectical relationship between the formal and informal economies. The study adopts a desktop research approach, utilizing existing data from Dalian Statistics Bureau to demonstrate the interactive nature of the labor process among peddlers, means of production, and labor products, revealing the phenomenon of alienation within this process. By analyzing data provided by ByteDance officials, it becomes evident that the digital peddler economy in Dalian suffers from structural deviations. The pathway for the digital peddler economy lies in establishing digital platforms while avoiding the ideology of consumerism associated with digital goods. To achieve a more visual understanding of the dialectical relationship between formal and informal economies, this study uses R Programming for 3D modeling and regression forecasting analysis of Dalian's formal economy. Additionally, modeling the labor process of Digital Hawkers enhances the understanding of the dialectical relationship between the traditional peddler economy and the digital peddler economy. The research suggests the need to optimize relevant policies for traditional peddlers, allowing Dalian's informal economy to stabilize and complement the formal economy amid global capital expansion. Only through collective efforts from the government, platforms, and society can the healthy development of the digital peddler economy in Dalian be achieved, thereby promoting urban economic prosperity and social progress.