The title picture is from IC photo, this article is from the WeChat official account: Tengyun (ID: tenyun700)
Participants in the discussion today are: Tian Feng, a researcher at the Institute of Social Development Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Ma Qiji, a researcher at the Peking University New Media Marketing Communication Research Center;
From their respective professional perspectives, they share their understanding of “breaking circles”.
What is a “broken circle”?
Tengyun: From the existing data, it seems that it is difficult for us to find an accurate definition of “breaking circle”. If you must give it a definition, how would you explain it?
Zhang Ruichen: “Broken circle” may be a phenomenon in which a certain cultural form and cultural content flow and share among different online groups. I think this is a phenomenon exclusive to the Internet public space, because the boundaries of network groups are very different from the boundaries of real groups. The specific differences in cultural forms and content usually do not directly constitute the boundaries of real groups, but usually Can directly constitute the boundaries of the network group.
Ma Qiji: “Broken circle” is an innovative new connection. It was originally a cultural phenomenon. For example, Mu Xin changed from an artist in a small circle to an idol of hundreds of millions of cultural youths. Another example is that a super girl was originally a resident singer in a bar because her chance changed. Become a national singer; another example, Van Gogh’s “Sunflower” that few people really understand, has now become a symbol of painting and a necessary punch card.
On the outside, the “breaking circle” is to connect with more subjects and objects, generate new relationships, and enrich the value network; on the inside, the “breaking circle” is to change the content production and expression methods, and restructure the value structure.
According to this feature, the “breaking circle” not only occurs in the field of cultural phenomena, but also in various fields such as business, service, consumption, technology, and interpersonal. The social public welfare is still to build a public welfare society; or the Internet has gradually changed from the past information or e-commerce platform to a social collaboration platform with wider value. These are all “breaking circle” performances.
Tian Feng: Behind the “breaking circle” is an act of expanding the user base under the pressure of the business world. The range of audiences of many niche circles is actually very limited. If it is only to maintain its own cultural satisfaction, it is difficult to maintain a long-term growth trend. So to expand this user base,You have to “break the circle”.
Why is the concept of “broken circle”?
Tengyun: Recently, the term “breaking circle” has been frequently discussed on social media. Why can this concept get so much attention?
Ma Qiji: In the past two years, the discussion on “breaking circle” has become more and more heated. There are two reasons for this:
First, the public ’s ability to discover various things and phenomena in society is becoming more and more complete with the progress of science and technology, and the willingness and tolerance of accepting new things are also increasing;
Second, the original closed, limited or confined to small circles, due to the proliferation of technological change and globalization, the possibility of “breaking the circle” is available-the most typical example is China The traditional culture “breaks out” the traditional Chinese cultural circle and increasingly goes to the world.
Zhang Ruichen: The first factor is the extension of the Internet and the proliferation of social networks formed by the overlapping of multiple identities. The development of the Internet has encouraged some marginal voices and practices to different degrees, not only to encourage expression, but also to encourage aggregation.
The second factor is the gradual development of a diverse cultural state in this process. The Internet brings more people in, and the coincidence of the identity of the individuals themselves makes cross-circle communication more and more frequent, and the overall environment breeds an inclusiveness for multiple values (even if it is based on frequent Based on fierce arguments and even conflicts).
What is the essence of “breaking circle”?
Tengyun: When we talk about “breaking the circle”, does it imply the existence of intergenerational differences? In other words, when we discuss “breaking the circle”, what are we talking about?
Tian Feng: Intergenerational is often just a symbol. The intergenerational cultural inheritance has not found a strong transmission effect at present, because young people will consciously produce a different cultural mentality and corresponding circle from the previous generation of young people in the process of seeking subculture independence .
The “breaking circle” we are talking about now refers more to the “breaking circle” from the youth group to the mainstream group. Station B is an obvious example. From this meaningIn the above, “breaking the circle” refers to moving closer to mainstream culture and adult society, because only in this way will the scale of users grow on a large scale.
In fact, after young people enter adult society, the disappearance of their subculture is a very common phenomenon. This is because after entering the mainstream society, young people have the need to integrate into the mainstream society. Looking back, even the most rebellious American “failed generation” in history, the subculture can hardly escape the end of being “received” by mainstream culture.
Zhang Ruichen: The difference is affirmative, otherwise “broken” is meaningless. But the differences are not necessarily intergenerational. I think the essence is cultural differences. Intergenerational differences may be just one of the insignificant factors.
The word “broken circle” is more about the problem of communication and integration, and it is more about “broken” (communication) Instead of “circle” (Barrier) . Many “differences” on the Internet are actually far from barriers. Just like people who love sports and people who like crosstalk, they can find their idols in ghost and animal videos. Japanese and Korean fans, European and American fans, and domestic entertainment fans can also find “strange bondage increase” in the face-changing “sand sculpture video”. “”.
Is it necessary to “break” the “circle”?
Tengyun: Is “breaking circle” necessary?
Tian Feng: If there is no pressure to expand the user base, I think “breaking circle” may not be necessary, because “breaking circle” usually faces great difficulties. In a sense, “breaking the circle” is actually a kind of separation from the subculture. In the process of integration with the mainstream culture, some original independence and uniqueness will also be lost, which will draw a lot of new Followers will also lose many old followers.
At this level, “breaking circle” is a kind of reliance on mainstream culture. Once the idea of breaking circle appears, this kind of reversion begins. So “breaking the circle” is actually a journey back to mainstream culture, back to mainstream society, and back to adults.
And as a generation of young people grows up, the “circle” will naturally fade away. The phenomenon in China is also very interesting: China basically has not formed an antagonistic youth culture that is particularly opposed to the mainstream.The main trend is to parallel the mainstream.
Ma Qiji: “Breakthrough” today is different from the past in that it is no longer just an expansion of the “user audience” group, its core lies in the “breakout circle” “.
The new connections and new subjects in the new relationship have created a new understanding of the existing things, giving new explanations and new utility, just like the take-out service first served those groups who did not cook, but it “Breakthrough” has become a national application, but it is because everyone sees it as a way to change their life time through “time trading”.
Of course, “breaking the circle” is also a specific way for products to expand into new markets, brands to apply a new method, and social activities to develop a new group, but these are all specific, and the underlying reason is still due to technological development The improvement of social productivity and human initiative (production mode).
Of course, “breaking the circle” does not mean progress in the sense of values, but it must be the basis for the progress of human civilization and the basis for social innovation.
Zhang Ruichen: Perhaps for some niche cultural circles, it ’s good to “enclose the self-emerging”, but “breaking the circle” will cause unnecessary controversy, and will be “received” or even “killed”. “. However, for other niche cultural circles, such as certain cultures that are limited to the social demographic structure and have difficulty in having more fans and obtaining more development space, communication and integration with other circles may promote their own development. Progress, such as Guoman, rock or rap.
This article comes from the WeChat public account: Tengyun (ID: tenyun700)