A study of online interaction ritual chains of subcultural groups : An empirical study of a Chinese Sang Culture online group

Abstract: The development of digital technology has changed people's relationship patterns and interactions, and the Internet has enabled people to interact beyond the limits of time and space. In this context, more and more people are meeting on the Internet according to their personal subcultures, exchanging symbols and emotions, which means the medium is subtly influencing people's interactive behaviors. So how does the medium influence people's interactive behavior in a digital setting? The interactive behavior of a subcultural group on the Chinese social media Douban, the group Introducing the 985 Loser Programme, provides an example for us to consider this question. Taking this online subcultural group as an example, this thesis applies Collins' theory of interaction ritual chains, combines the concepts of disembedding and reembedding, and comprehensively analyzes the interaction rituals of members within this group on Douban through online observation, in-depth interviews, and content analysis, and analyzes from which aspects these interaction rituals are influenced by the medium. This study concluded that the online interaction rituals influenced by the medium were influenced by the real-life factors that the participants faced and also shaped their offline lives in terms of both perceptions and actions.