The techno-beauty myth: the self-representations of young Chinese women on social media

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate how young Chinese women use selfie-editing apps to create idealized versions of themselves and how these practices help them construct their identities. By conducting 30 interviews with highly educated Chinese women between the ages of 18 and 30 living in urban cities, the results of this study indicate that taking, editing, and sharing selfies have become increasingly embedded in their everyday lives. The female interviewees use the apps to narrow their jawline, change the size of their eyes and nose, remove acne, and smooth their skin, revealing that young women in China are not completely free of patriarchal beauty standards. However, the interviewees acknowledge that the selfies have captured their real lives and conveyed their personalities. They have been able to express their true selves and have gained self-pleasure from this process. In this way, the interviewees’ online self-representation is deeply linked to their offline lives. This study enriches current debates on women’s empowerment in contemporary China. The practice of online self-representation can be viewed as a process of self-actualization because it empowers women by solidifying their agency and further contributes to the formation of a reflexive identity.