WeChat's Biaoqingbao and Generation Z: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Social and Hedonic Gratifications

Abstract

Online communication has evolved dramatically with the advent of new media and technologies. Its graphic elements such as emoticons, emojis, and stickers have become prevalent due to their ability to overcome the boundaries of textual interactions, offering both convenience and enhanced emotional expression. While some studies have delved into the use motivations and effects of these digital tools, the influence of cultural contexts on their usage remains under-explored. In China, 'Biaoqingbao', an amalgamation of emoticons and animated GIFs, is particularly popular on platforms like WeChat. However, the underlying motivations for using WeChat Biaoqingbao, especially the significant ones, are relatively scared. Hence, the main aim of this concept paper is to critically review and identify gaps in current literature to discern the influences of both social and hedonic gratifications on its use. While the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) forms the theoretical framework for the study, the categorization of gratifications derived from diverse media, particularly new media, still needs deeper exploration. Thus, this study introduces social identity and perceived humor as novel dimensions to better grasp the nature of social and hedonic gratifications. Employing a survey method, the study will gather responses from participants spanning three major Chinese cities: Dongguan, Changsha, and Chengdu, targeting 384 valid responses. Data will be processed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0 (SPSS 27.0) and analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling using Partial Least Squares 4.0 (SmartPLS 4.0). The findings of this study are expected to make a significant contribution to the research in the field of mass communication by expanding the application of UGT and its connection to social media activities. Furthermore, the results anticipate offering practical implications for other generations seeking to comprehend the cultural characteristics of Generation Z.