Author(s)

Xiaoqing Li ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Quanzhou Huaguang Vocational College, Film Industry College, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, 362121, China

Corresponding Author

Xiaoqing Li

ABSTRACT

The "Renew Sparks" function of Douyin has evolved into a new type of digital social ritual among youth groups through the algorithm-driven continuous interaction mechanism. From the perspectives of semiotics and youth subculture, this paper analyzes the referential and denotational aspects of the "spark" symbol, and reveals how the spark renewal behavior reconfigures the identity and relationship network of youth groups through symbolic interactions. At the same time, this paper also finds that the ritualized interaction of "Renew Sparks" not only relieves the anxiety of social uncertainty, but also leads to the alienation of emotional labor under the discipline of the law of reckoning. This phenomenon reflects the dual logic of resistance and compromise of youth subculture against technological domination in the digital era, providing a critical perspective on how social media reshape the cultural logic of interpersonal interactions, and shedding light on the ethics of platform algorithms and the mental health of youth.

KEYWORDS

Douyin, Renew Sparks, Symbolic Interaction, Youth Subcultures, Digital Social Rituals, Emotional Labor

CITE THIS PAPER

Xiaoqing Li, Algorithmic Discipline and Symbolic Interaction: Youth Subcultural Practices in Douyin's "Renew Sparks". Media and Communication Research (2025) Vol. 6: 27-33. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/mediacr.2025.060205.

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