Development of Social Media in China

DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL NETWORK IN CHINA

Introduction

      Social network sites (SNSs) have the potential to fundamentally change the character of our social lives, both on an interpersonal and a community level. Changes in interaction patterns and social connections are already evident among young people, who are the heaviest users of these sites. As adoption spreads to a wider audience, we expect such changes to be amplified across all segments of society. According to the latest statistics released by the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), the global netizen population had reached 2.08billion by the end of 2010.That is approximately 30% of the world population. Global WebIndex, a foreign Internet research agency, carried out a worldwide investigation among Internet users in 2010.The results reaffirmed the belief that Social Media has become a major part of netizens’ lives. In China, with the recent improvement of network infrastructure, Internet penetration rate is increasing all the time. According to the latest statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the number of Chinese Internet users had reached 457 million by the end of 2010. Social network users hit 235 million, blog users 294 million, BBS users 148 million and online video users 284 million. In China, on average, one netizen has three social media identities.

Development of Social Network
Thirty years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made a fateful decision: to allow newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations to compete in the marketplace instead of being financed exclusively by the government. The political and social implications of that decision are still unfolding as the Chinese government, media, and public adapt to the new information environment. The roots of China’s social media can be traced back to the first BBS (Bulletin Board System online discussion forum or community) in1994 Shuguang BBS. It was the start of atrial period...