The ‘losers’ of China’s Internet: Memes as ‘structures of feeling’ for disillusioned young netizens

Abstract

Diaosi (屌丝) ranked as one of the most popular Internet memes of 2012, and it continues to be popular to this day. This article analyses the origins and nature of the diaosi meme and the young men (and women) who self-mockingly describe themselves as 'losers'. The meme has led to ample speculation in the media and among Chinese academics, and while some see the meme as a relevant form of political critique, others dismiss it as indicative of a psychological malaise affecting contemporary youth. This article reviews the state of this debate about the meanings of the diaosi phenomenon, while offering a new interpretation that frames the meme in terms of Raymond Williams's notion of 'structures of feeling'. Though diaosi is a seemingly humorous and playful Internet meme, it is also one that signals young netizens' disillusionment with the apparent lack of possibilities for upward socio-economic mobility in contemporary China. This author contends that the diaosi phenomenon, though amorphous and at times contradictory, may also be considered an emergent form of affective identification through which alternative desires and forms of mobility may be imagined and enacted.

La peur de l'échec: les enjeux de l'emploi des jeunes en Chine

“…Beaucoup de jeunes préparés à occuper des fonctions de cadres jugent qu'ils sont passés du statut de «gagnants en puissance» à celui de «perdants effectifs»: ils s'attendaient à tirer profit des réformes du marché du travail et voient leur niveau de bien-être subjectif se détériorer au contraire, au moins par rapport à l'élite. Ils veulent trouver un emploi stable et bien payé pour parvenir à la situation matérielle plus élevée à laquelle ils aspirent (Brockmann et coll., 2009;Szablewicz, 2014). Le sentiment de frustration qui les habite est désigné par le terme argotique diaosi, qui signifie «raté».…”

“…Toutefois, seuls Smith et Chan (2015) et Gong (2012) ont directement fait porter leur attention sur la situation des jeunes. D'autres études abordent plutôt la question du stress découlant des problèmes d'insertion professionnelle des jeunes Chinois ou celle des attitudes de cette population sur les questions sociales et politiques (Rosen, 2009;Lu, 2012;Kan, 2013;Lian, 2013;Zhao, 2013;He et Mai, 2015;Szablewicz, 2014).…”

From Mao Zedong to Michael Jackson: Revisualizing culture and history in the YouTube age

“…8 Perhaps the most infamous aspect of China's Internet is the degree to which the PRC government continues to attempt to control the flow of information. 10 One can also purchase a virtual private network (VPN) connection, which tricks the firewalls into thinking that one's computer is accessing the Internet in locales ranging from Buenos Aires to Dallas. 9 In truth, it is not overly difficult to get around the enforced boycotts of international sites.…”

Political contestation in Chinese digital spaces: Deepening the critical inquiry

“…Known in China as 'Internet hot phrases' (网络热词) or as 'style', this is not a Chinese, but global phenomenon. 18 Diaosi, which Szablewicz translates as 'losers', became a popular meme in 2012. For example, the word 'jasmine' -the jasmine being the symbol of the Tunisian revolution -was blocked when activists attempted to inject it into Chinese cyberspace.…”