Reproduction, cultural symbolism, and online relationship: Constructing city spatial imagery on TikTok

Abstract

The city on social media has become a hot topic in the study of city communication and city image. From the perspective of spatial theory and the communication characteristics of social media, this paper divides the spatial imagery of TikTok into three spaces: material space-cognitive attention, mental space-mental association, and relational space-emotional involvement. Based on the content analysis of 40 videos, we analyze the process of social media using cognition, association, and emotion as the starting points to increase the material space, expand the mental space, and expand the relational space. We find that spatial imagery can be co-constructed from the material space, mental space, and relational space. Lastly, the model is changed, and the value of using spatial theory to understand how city images are made is talked about.

Verification of Two-Step Flow Model in the Process of City International Image Communication Based on Data Mining and Empirical Analysis

“…This evolution underscores the criticality of studying global city image communication from dual perspectives. First, there is a burgeoning necessity to examine city image communication through the prism of social media; it is increasingly pragmatic to scrutinize the city image communication through the lens of social media (Liu et al 2022), given its influential role in shaping perception. Second, it is imperative to understand the specific communication logic and characteristics requisite for effective city image dissemination within the milieu of social media.…”