The users’ activities on Yiguan : An Audience Analysis on An Anonymous Social Media

Abstract: Yiguan is a new-emerging mobile application which is popular in China. Different from the traditional social media, Yiguan enables users to have interaction and communications anonymously online. Compared to other anonymous social media, Yiguan is nether proximity-based nor tie-based. The identity of Yiguan users can be completely anonymous. Users will not have a personal profile and home pages on Yiguan. Anonymity makes it possible that users wear masks when they present themselves and interact with others. It is possible for them to get rid of the constraint, escaping from repetitive everyday life. This thesis based on the empirical qualitative research, conduct an audience analysis on Yiguan’s users. I’d like to explore what users do on Yiguan and how they utilize the space of Yiguan. This thesis wishes to identify the activities of users on Yiguan, and explore the characteristics of user’s activities. Combing the critical theories from Mead, Goffman, and Walther, this thesis will provide a vivid sketch of users on Yiguan.