Source: Sun Moon Tan Tian
Recently, a number of media reports on the island have reported that mainland apps such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu have become an indispensable part of the daily life of Taiwan's under-22 people.
Tan Zhu noticed that a survey by Taiwan's Kingche Cultural and Educational Foundation showed that more than half of Taiwanese teenagers use Douyin (including the overseas version of TikTok) as the most common information platform. According to the questionnaire survey of "popular mobile phone applications" of the island's online media READr, among the top 10 social apps commonly used by Taiwan's young generation, Douyin, Xiaohongshu and Weibo are all on the list. In addition, Taobao, WeChat, Bilibili, etc. also have many fans on the island. Even Taiwanese college students who visited the mainland with Ma Ying-jeou not long ago said in an interview with the media that they learned about the mainland through Douyin before coming to the mainland.
Screenshot of media reports on the island
Why are mainland apps so popular among young people on the island? What is the reason behind them? Lord Tan did some investigation.
pick mainland APP:
"Understand in seconds", resonate, and have a natural sense of closeness
After studying the results of a questionnaire survey on mainland APP users on the island, Tan found that "many stalks, fun, and fun" are a large part of the reasons for attracting young people in Taiwan to use mainland apps.
An investigative article by the island's public opinion analysis website "Internet Thermometer" pointed out that Internet words widely used by mainland netizens on platforms such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo have gradually become popular among netizens on the island because they are fun. According to a report by the island's media READr, mainland buzzwords such as "this thing is good for planting", "girlfriends looking for me to go out", and "he is responsible for his appearance" have been hung on the lips of young people on the island, while mainland Internet terms such as "call", "Buddhism" and "old driver" have soared in frequency among Taiwanese college students and have been in a high position for a long time.
In addition, hot stalks on short video apps such as Douyin have also spread "phenomenally" on the island with almost no time difference. Following the "subject three", the "one-yuan and one-string bowl chicken" that was "out of the circle" in a magical tone became popular on the island again, and many Taiwanese netizens said that "as long as you listen to it once, you will keep repeating it", and some netizens created their own dance steps for this.
Tan Zhu noticed that on social platforms such as Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo, it is difficult to distinguish between mainland and Taiwanese netizens without looking at IP addresses, because they use the same Internet words, play the hot stalk of "second understanding", discuss TV dramas simultaneously, and even use simplified Chinese characters.
Ren Dongmei, an associate researcher at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Tan Zhu that in fact, it is not because the use of mainland apps makes young people on both sides of the strait more and more similar and difficult to distinguish, but that the two sides of the strait are the same. The most fundamental reason why mainland apps can become popular among young people on the island is that the two sides of the strait are connected by roots, the same language and the same species, have a natural sense of cultural closeness, common interests and hobbies, easy to understand hot words and stalks, and similar concerns and usage habits. Taiwan's roots are the Chinese nation, and the Chinese heritage and Han and Tang dynasties are deeply rooted in the bone marrow of the Taiwanese people.
Call the mainland APP:
Technological, practical, close to the hearts of young people
Tan Zhu noticed that many netizens on the island believe that mainland apps have high technology content and are more convenient to use, and mainland apps such as Taobao and Pinduoduo have brought a qualitative leap to life. Some young people on the island praised the scientific and technological content behind the mainland APP, believing that most social apps in the mainland are based on the accurate recommendation of algorithms and rich vertical classification, which can meet their interest in specific and even unpopular topics, which is very convenient. There are also young people on the island who choose to start a business on the mainland short video and live broadcast platform, opening a new track.
Screenshot of the media street on the island
Tan Zhu searched the island's media and social platforms and found that the young generation on the island who are keen to use mainland apps generally think that they are "fashionable and trendy", "more information", "rich in dry goods" and "very practical". A Taichung girl said in an interview with the media, "There are a lot of photography, dressing, and beauty strategies on Xiaohongshu, which are trendy and practical." When interviewed, a young person from Taipei said that he likes to use Weibo and WeChat to "learn about important news and international information on the mainland". Some Taiwanese high school students searched for "essay sentences" on Xiaohongshu and listened to free courses on Bilibili. There are also many Taiwanese young people who follow the short videos on Douyin to learn about the mainland's urban construction, technological development and natural scenery. A young man on the island told Tan that he and many friends around him like to watch popular dramas such as "Flowers" and drama commentary through the mainland's video APP.
Xu Chenpin, a media person on the island, said that the mainland APP is very close to the hearts of young people, and the young generation in Taiwan has seen the infinite charm and attraction of the mainland through the mainland APP, and the choice of the mainland APP also represents their pursuit of a more "trendy", newer and better lifestyle and spiritual culture.
The island's media reported that young people in Taiwan love to use Xiaohongshu
Tan Zhu observed that many Taiwanese "first-time people" are because they have "planted" grass on apps such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu in the mainland, and some Taiwanese young people even regard Xiaohongshu as a check-in map for tourism and food, and follow the above strategy to come to mainland cities for a CityWalk. After obtaining relevant information about the mainland from the mainland APP, some Taiwanese youths found that the rapid progress and technological innovation of the mainland were in line with their yearning, so they naturally planted the seeds of "landing", and then started the journey of westward expansion into the mainland. In fact, in recent years, "landing" has become a life choice for more and more young generations on the island to pursue their dreams, because they want to pursue a better life and realize their future on the mainland.
The younger generation on the island is so keen on mainland apps, and the more they know about it, the more they love the mainland, but the DPP wants to follow the United States in banning mainland apps. Master Tan can't help but ask: How can the DPP succeed in going against the tide and the will of the people in order to carry out "de-Sinicization"? In fact, from a small APP, we can see the fact that the two sides of the strait are connected by roots and have a common future, so the DPP should wake up!
[Source: Sun Moon Tan Tian WeChat public account]