







































 Humanities and Social Science Research; Vol. 8, No. 6; 2025 

ISSN 2576-3024   E-ISSN 2576-3032 

https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n6p1 

 1 Published by IDEAS SPREAD 

 

From "Watching Films" to "Performing Films": The Ritualistic 

Communication and Identity Construction of Social Media "Movie 

Viewing Reports" 

Jianing Wang1 

1 University of Exeter, UK 

Correspondence: Jianing Wang, School of Education-University of Exeter (St-Luke's Campus) -Heavitree Road, 

Exeter, Devon, UK. 

 

Received: October 24, 2025; Accepted: November 10, 2025; Published: November 11, 2025 

 

Abstract 

In recent years, social media platforms, through features like "movie viewing reports," have shifted film 

consumption from private viewing to public performance. However, users' display of viewing behavior is not 

merely a simple recording and sharing. Based on digital ethnography on Douban and Xiaohongshu platforms and 

in-depth interviews with 16 users, this study finds that "performing films" involves users' strategic construction of 

self-identity based on platform templates and algorithmic rules. It reveals a paradox of cultural capital in the digital 

age: cultural distinction originates from individual enthusiasm for pursuing unique taste, yet it must be realized 

and confirmed by embedding it within the platform's preset visual order, interactive conventions, and algorithmic 

scripts. The findings of this study contribute to a further understanding of flexible identity performance strategies 

and how users negotiate individual expression and collective identity within algorithmically mediated ritualistic 

practices. 

Keywords: performative viewing, Algorithmic Taste, media rituals, Visibility Capital, platform society 

1. Introduction 

Empowered by Web 3.0 technologies, film consumption is undergoing a profound transformation from a singular 

viewing act to a composite cultural practice. The latest data from the China Internet Network Information Center 

(CNNIC) shows that in 2023, the scale of online audio-visual users in China reached 1.04 billion, with 68.5% of 

users sharing their viewing records via social platforms [1]. Since its launch in 2016, the participation rate for 

Douban's annual movie report function has increased by an average of 23% annually, resulting in 4.3 million 

personalized reports in 2023 [2]. Concurrently, the page views for the "Movie Nine-Square Grid" topic on 

Xiaohongshu exceeded 1.8 billion, and the use of Douyin's "Movie Report" special effects surpassed 700 million 

times [3]. These phenomena signal the shift from private viewing to public performance, forming a three-

dimensional practice of "viewing-quantification-performance," evolving movie viewing reports into digital rituals 

that combine identity performance, social interaction, and cultural capital accumulation. 

Existing research primarily follows two paths: first, audience analysis within film studies [4], which focuses on 

viewers' interpretive strategies for texts; second, media use studies in communication [5], exploring the social 

context of viewing behavior. Although recent studies have begun to pay attention to the impact of digital media 

on film culture [6], significant limitations remain: first, a focus on film explanations on short video platforms while 

neglecting systematic investigation of viewing reports; second, a lack of analysis of the shaping role of platform 

technical architectures; third, a failure to reveal the complex relationship between datafied performance and 

identity construction. As van Dijck [7] stated, current research still lacks sufficient understanding of "how 

platforms mediate cultural practices." 

Based on this, this study introduces three theoretical perspectives—dramaturgical theory, cultural capital theory, 

and the ritual view of communication—and proposes the concept of "performing films," referring to the practice 

where users transform viewing behavior into public performance through datafied means. The study aims to 

answer the following questions: How do movie viewing reports construct cultural capital through specific symbolic 

practices? What kind of complicit relationship exists between platform algorithms and user performance behavior? 

What impact does this datafied performance practice have on contemporary youth's identity construction? By 

reviewing core concepts such as "cultural capital [8]", "media rituals [9]", and "digital performance [10]", this 



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study proposes a "performative viewing" theoretical perspective to systematically analyze the internal mechanisms 

and power relations behind the shift of viewing practices from private consumption to public performance in the 

social media era. It provides a new theoretical lens for understanding how digital platforms mediate cultural 

consumption and reshape identity, while also offering empirical evidence for grasping the new modes of cultural 

capital accumulation and their social distinction functions in the digital age. 

2. Materials and Methods 

2.1 Film Viewing Performance from a Dramaturgical Perspective 

Goffman's dramaturgical theory views social interaction as a theatrical performance, where the "front stage" is the 

space where individuals manage impressions [11]. This theory provides a suitable framework for analyzing users' 

strategic performance in film viewing on social media. First, the platform itself constitutes a "perpetual theater" 

[12], where users' sharing of viewing data becomes a front-stage performance. Second, the visualization and 

standardization templates of viewing reports (e.g., Douban annual charts, Xiaohongshu nine-square grids) provide 

users with ready-made "performance scripts." At the same time, functions like likes and comments construct the 

"actor-audience" interaction mechanism [13]. 

Digital media expands the explanatory dimensions of dramaturgical theory [14]. Social media users often construct 

idealized identities by curating content [15]. The uniqueness of viewing reports lies in: firstly, creating an "illusion 

of data authenticity," making manipulable statistics appear as objective records; secondly, achieving "visualization 

of cultural capital," conveying aesthetic taste through curated lists; thirdly, forming "algorithmic complicity," 

where platforms subtly guide the direction of performance through recommendation systems hinting at the 

preferences of the "ideal viewer." 

Existing research mostly focuses on the ritualistic nature of cinema viewing [16], paying insufficient attention to 

"post-viewing" performance practices in digital environments. This study finds that users construct a "digital front 

stage" through Douban viewing time statistics, Xiaohongshu nine-square grids, and other means, and utilize 

functions like "visible only to me" to conceal inconsistent records, thereby completing role crafting. Platform 

algorithms (e.g., "Guess You Like") and social cues (e.g., "Friends Are Watching") jointly create the "theatrical 

effect" of performance. 

This study advances the digital extension of dramaturgical theory in two aspects: first, pointing out that the digital 

front stage is highly editable, allowing users to adjust content at any time; second, revealing algorithms as a new 

type of "audience" that participates in and shapes performance through data feedback. Furthermore, quantified 

viewing data becomes a "digital business card" that users repeatedly refine, demonstrating a turn towards precision 

and design in performative behavior. These findings not only enhance the explanatory power of dramaturgical 

theory in the platform society but also open new paths for exploring social performance mediated by algorithms. 

2.2 The Visual Transformation of Cultural Capital 

Bourdieu, in Distinction, proposed cultural capital theory, arguing that differences in artistic appreciation are 

essentially symbolic mappings of social space [17]. This theory provides a key framework for this study, with its 

explanatory power mainly manifested in three aspects: First, users' curatorial behaviors in viewing reports (such 

as selected film lists, art film tags) are a form of "taste performance," aligning with the logic of cultural distinction 

emphasized by Bourdieu. Second, platform badge systems (e.g., Douban's "Senior Cinephile") and labeling 

systems transform abstract cultural capital into visible data symbols, creating new paths for capital accumulation. 

Finally, interaction data, such as likes and favorites among users, form a quantifiable capital exchange mechanism, 

allowing for the precise measurement of the "symbolic struggle" proposed by Bourdieu [18]. 

Existing research mostly focuses on the classification of cultural capital forms, intergenerational transmission, and 

its digital turn. Scholars like Lareau et al. categorize cultural capital into embodied, objectified, and 

institutionalized forms, but have not foreseen its transformation in the digital age. With the development of the 

digital era, scholars like Hanquinet and Savage have begun to focus on digital cultural practices, but mostly 

concentrate on traditional art forms, such as music and fine arts [19], with limited attention paid to film as an art 

form. In summary, existing research lacks focus on platform mediation, failing to explain how algorithmic 

recommendations reconstruct the accumulation paths of cultural capital; it also neglects the visual presentation of 

cultural capital on data interfaces (e.g., viewing statistics), lacking a quantitative dimension; furthermore, 

exploration of intergenerational differences is shallow, without systematic comparison of digital capital display 

strategies across age groups. 

Based on this, this study constructs a "platform cultural capital" framework, proposing a three-dimensional model 

of "algorithmic mediation - data visualization - intergenerational strategies," which extends Bourdieu's theory to 



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the context of platform society and reveals the interplay of intergenerational capital in the algorithmic age. This 

framework fills the gaps in existing theories and provides a new paradigm for interpreting digital cultural 

stratification. When viewing reports become datafied class "passports," cultural distinction becomes more 

concealed and precise under algorithmic governance. 

2.3 Communication Practice as Ritual 

James Carey's ritual view of communication breaks through the linear model of the traditional "transmission view," 

understanding communication as a symbolic process through which reality is produced, maintained, and 

transformed [20]. Against the backdrop of the rise of the platform society [21], the theoretical connotations of the 

ritual view have undergone three transformations: In terms of the subject dimension, users shift from passive 

participants to active performers, completing the identity transition from ritual adherents to co-constructors by 

editing report templates. In the spatiotemporal dimension, ritual scenes shift from fixed time and space to fluid 

fields of time and space. For example, Douban's "Annual Report Season" constructs "mediatized time nodes" [22] 

through countdown posters, etc., (granting synchronic meaning to individual behaviors). In the power dimension, 

platforms encode commercial logic into cultural rituals through automatically generated functions, such as 

"Annual Top Ten" [23], thereby forming an algorithm-driven, ritualized process. 

In the practice of viewing reports, the ritual view reveals how individual behaviors are transformed into collective 

cultural practices through symbolic performance. Users publishing data using standardized templates participate 

in a "cultural performance" [24] centered on identity and belonging. Couldry points out that digital platforms create 

new ritual spaces [25]. This study further finds that platform templates constitute the "standardized scripts" of 

rituals, while algorithms establish the "sacred standards" of evaluation through lists such as the "Annual TOP100." 

Interactions such as likes and favorites among users form a cycle of emotional energy [26], constituting a key link 

in the interaction ritual chain. 

Existing research mainly develops along three directions: platform mechanisms (e.g., the gamification design of 

Weibo's "Movie Medals"), user behavior (e.g., young people achieving taste distinction through "reports and 

reviews" [27]), and cultural critique (e.g., the "McDonaldization of aesthetics" resulting from the datafication of 

film taste [28]). However, there are significant shortcomings: first, a lack of diachronic investigation of "annual 

reports" as periodic rituals; second, neglect of comparative research across platforms and intergenerational 

differences. 

Based on this, this study innovatively proposes an "algorithmic ritualization" analytical framework, focusing on 

examining the differences in ritual practices among users of different platforms and generations, revealing how 

platforms transform commercial surveillance into user-willingly-participated cultural practices through interface 

design. It also pays attention to the subversive effect of "anti-report" subcultures (e.g., intentionally generating 

vulgar film lists) on ritual authority, thereby expanding the dimension of resistance in the ritual view and deepening 

the understanding of the evolution of communication rituals in the platform society. 

3. Methodological Design 

3.1 Implementation of Digital Ethnography 

This study adopts a qualitative research approach, combining digital ethnography and in-depth interviews to form 

a strategy of triangulation. Digital ethnography is used to capture public performance behaviors in natural settings, 

while in-depth interviews delve into users' subjective motivations and strategic considerations, providing a 

comprehensive understanding of the complex cultural phenomenon of "performative viewing" from both practical 

and meaningful perspectives. 

3.1.1 Platform Selection and Rationale 

This study selects Douban and Xiaohongshu as research platforms, primarily based on their platform attributes 

and functional representativeness. Douban is based on a "Books, Films, Music" community, where users 

emphasize aesthetic taste and in-depth film reviews; Xiaohongshu, with its positioning of "Marking My Life," 

features more visual and consumption-oriented content. The significant differences in user demographics between 

the two platforms provide an effective comparative perspective for the study. 

In terms of functionality, both platforms have mature mechanisms for generating and sharing viewing reports (e.g., 

Douban annual reports, Xiaohongshu movie nine-square grid templates) and have formed active sharing 

communities with high data accessibility. The research focuses on the original performance practices of individual 

users, excluding marketing accounts, institutional accounts, and commercial promotional content. 



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The specific observation scope includes Douban's "Movie Marking Addiction" group, annual chart topic areas, 

and user content containing the hashtag #My Annual Movie Report#, as well as popular posts and related topics 

on Xiaohongshu obtained through keyword searches such as "movie viewing report” and "movie nine-square grid." 

3.1.2 Observation Period and Data Collection 

The observation period for this study spanned from November 2024 to February 2025, encompassing the peak 

period when platforms release their annual viewing reports and users intensively share them, thereby effectively 

capturing ritualized communication practices within "mediatized time nodes." Using purposive sampling, a total 

of 300 user-generated posts (150 from Douban and 150 from Xiaohongshu) were collected as analysis samples, 

covering visual texts (report screenshots, cover designs), written texts (captions, film list comments, comments), 

and interaction data (likes, favorites, reposts). 

3.1.3 Data Analysis Methods 

The collected data will be imported into qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo) for directed content 

analysis and multimodal analysis. The coding scheme will be constructed around the research questions, including: 

visual symbol coding (e.g., aesthetic style of reports, layout order, etc.), textual strategy coding (e.g., curatorial 

logic of film lists, self-labeling, etc.), and interaction ritual coding (e.g., interaction patterns in comments, 

community terminology, etc.). 

3.2 In-depth Interview Design 

To compensate for the limitations of ethnography in directly accessing user motivations and perceptions, this study 

supplements ethnography with semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore the inner world and life experiences 

of individual users in depth. 

3.2.1 Sampling Method and Interviewees 

A combination of purposive sampling and snowball sampling was used to recruit information-rich respondents. 

The core criterion for selecting respondents was: active users who had proactively published movie viewing reports 

on the Douban or Xiaohongshu platforms. Ultimately, 16 users were successfully interviewed until theoretical 

saturation was reached. 

 

Table 1. Basic Information of Interviewees (N=16) 

Number Platform Age Gender Occupation 
Self-Identity 

Labels 

Annual 

Viewing 

Volume 

Report 

Publishing 

Frequency 

Interview 

Duration 

Interview 

Method 

D01 Douban 29 Female 
Publishing 

House Editor 

Art film lover, 

Auteur 

cinema 

150+ 

Annual 

report, 

Monthly 

records 

45min WeChat 

D02 Douban 33 Male 
Internet 

Programmer 

Sci-

Fi/Fantasy 

fan, Tech 

geek 

80-100 
Annual 

report 
50min WeChat 

D03 Douban 25 Female 
Postgraduate 

Student 

Hidden gem 

excavator, 

European 

cinema 

200+ 

Annual 

report, 

Daily 

marking 

45min 
Tencent 

Meeting 

D04 Douban 31 Male Director 

Independent 

film 

supporter, 

Realist 

120+ 

Annual 

report, 

Long 

review with 

images 

40min 
Tencent 

Meeting 

D05 Douban 27 Female 

Museum 

Curatorial 

Assistant 

Visual 

aesthetics 

enthusiast, 

Regular at 

100-120 

Annual 

report, Film 

festivals 

60min WeChat 



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Number Platform Age Gender Occupation 
Self-Identity 

Labels 

Annual 

Viewing 

Volume 

Report 

Publishing 

Frequency 

Interview 

Duration 

Interview 

Method 

Jiangsu-

Zhejiang-

Shanghai film 

festivals 

D06 Douban 26 Male 
University 

Teacher 

Classical film 

lover 
100-120 

Annual 

report, Film 

festivals 

45min WeChat 

X01 Xiaohongshu 22 Female 
Undergraduate 

Student 

Atmosphere 

film lover, 

Korean film 

fan 

50-70 

Annual 

report, 

Nine-

square grid 

80min WeChat 

X02 Xiaohongshu 26 Female 
Graphic 

Designer 

Visual-

centric, 

Composition 

matters most 

60-80 

Quarterly 

nine-square 

grid 

50min 
Tencent 

Meeting 

X03 Xiaohongshu 30 Male 

Brand 

Marketing 

Manager 

Social sharing 

enthusiast, 

Trend 

follower 

40-60 
Annual 

report 
55min Phone 

X04 Xiaohongshu 24 Female 
New Media 

Operator 

Romance film 

expert, CP fan 
100+ 

Monthly 

favorite list 
50min WeChat 

X05 Xiaohongshu 28 Female 

Primary 

School 

Teacher 

Animation 

film 

specialist, 

Healing type 

90-110 

Annual 

report, 

Nine-

square grid 

45min WeChat 

X06 Xiaohongshu 26 Female PhD Student Healing type 110+ 
Annual 

report 
55 WeChat 

M01 
Dual 

Platform 
35 Male 

University 

Junior Faculty 

Cinephile 

culture, 

Cross-

platform 

sharer 

180+ 

Annual 

report (both 

platforms) 

50 
Tencent 

Meeting 

M02 
Dual 

Platform 
23 Female 

Undergraduate 

Student 

Aspiring 

filmmaker 
250+ All reports 50 Phone 

M03 
Dual 

Platform 
32 Male 

Freelance 

Writer 

Queer 

cinema, 

Horror films 

130+ 

Annual 

report, 

Themed 

lists 

45 
Tencent 

Meeting 

M04 
Dual 

Platform 
29 Male 

Internet 

Worker 

Cross-

platform 

sharer 

100+ 

Annual 

report, 

Themed 

lists 

50 WeChat 

 

3.2.2 Interview Guide and Core Dimensions 

The interview primarily revolved around core dimensions, including the production process and motivation, 

perception of platform algorithms, identity construction and capital accumulation, community belonging and 

distinction, and views on "anti-reports," while also collecting demographic information. The guide remained open, 

allowing new topics to emerge and be promptly supplemented and refined. 



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3.2.3 Interview Implementation and Ethics 

Interviews were conducted via Tencent Meeting, WeChat voice calls, or phone calls, with an average duration of 

approximately 40-60 minutes. They were recorded with consent and transcribed verbatim. The research followed 

ethical norms. Before the interview, respondents were briefed in detail on the purpose, privacy protection measures, 

and data usage, and signed informed consent forms. All respondent information was anonymized (using codes 

instead of names). 

4. Findings 

4.1 The Three Layers of Ritualized Production 

Carey's ritual view evolves into an operational, hierarchical symbolic production practice in the platform society. 

This study finds that the ritualized production of viewing reports is not homogeneous but presents three layers 

from surface to depth, collectively constructing the cultural sacredness of the performance. 

The first layer is the sense of ritual in visual order (i.e., front-stage performance). Platform-standardized viewing 

templates constitute the "front stage" in Goffman's theory, providing users with "scripts" that require no 

professional knowledge. Most users (e.g., X02, X05) create within the framework, conveying a signal of "careful 

preparation" through a unified visual order (e.g., neat layout, coordinated color scheme), declaring their 

qualification to participate in the ritual. The second layer is personalized micro-manipulations within the template 

(i.e., identity anchors). While adhering to the ritual script, users anchor their unique identities through meticulous 

micro-manipulations. They choose cover images representing personal aesthetics (D03: "I would pick the most 

niche but perfectly composed movie poster as the cover"), adjust the order of the film list to create a narrative 

(D01: "I put the year's best at the end, like telling a story"), or use specific community jargon in their captions. 

This is an effort to strive for individual meaning within the common ritual through "constrained creativity." The 

third layer is the curatorial aesthetics of "imperfection" (i.e., capital flaunting). The highest level of ritual 

production manifests as a carefully designed "imperfection." Veteran users (e.g., D04) intentionally avoid popular 

blockbusters recommended by algorithms, instead opting for obscure films that are often difficult to find resources 

for. By demonstrating the ability to access scarce cultural resources, they transform intangible capital into visible 

symbols, occupy a higher status in the ritual, and realize what Bourdieu termed "distinction." 

4.2 The Gradient Display of Cultural Capital 

Users' performance strategies show gradient differences based on their stock of cultural capital, and the platform's 

datafication mechanisms reinforce this visibility. 

Novice users engage in quantitative capital flaunting. The performance strategies of novice users (e.g., X01, X03) 

focus on the visible numbers themselves, such as annual total viewings, check-in days, and viewing hours. They 

tend to fully publish all data charts generated by the platform, with their core motivation being to gain initial 

community recognition through quantified achievements (e.g., X03: "Seeing that I watched over 200 hours felt 

quite accomplished, wanted to show it off"). Their cultural capital has not yet been internalized into a stable 

aesthetic system. 

Intermediate users engage in taste and knowledge performance. Intermediate users (e.g., D02, D05, X04) focus on 

"curation," demonstrating their knowledge system and aesthetic judgment through thematic categorization of film 

lists (e.g., "Annual Healing List," "Feminist Film Special"), in-depth short reviews, and authoritative film source 

labels, relying on recognition within specific cultural circles to accumulate capital (D05: "I look forward to 

someone commenting 'The host has great taste'"). 

Expert users engage in the construction of cultural authority. Top users (e.g., D01, D04, M02) often act as "opinion 

leaders." Their reports often appear as long articles or videos, critiquing platform algorithms or popular tastes (D04: 

"My report is meant to counter big data recommendations, to show everyone what truly good films are"). By 

deconstructing the ritual itself, they establish cultural authority. Their form of capital is closest to what Bourdieu 

called "institutionalized cultural capital," i.e., possessing the power to define what constitutes "legitimate culture." 

4.3 Identity Performance under Algorithmic Complicity 

There exists a "complicity" between user performance and platform algorithms. The algorithm acts as a "director," 

providing and reinforcing the performance script. Users' awareness and utilization strategies of algorithms show 

hierarchical differences. 

 

 



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Table 2. Differences in Users' Perception of and Coping Strategies towards Platform Algorithms 

User Type 
Perception of 

Algorithm 
Typical Coping Strategies Interviewees 

Novice 
As"administrator"or 

"referee" 

Compliance and Conformity: Tend to watch and mark 

popular films recommended by the algorithm to obtain 

"good-looking" data. 

X01, X03 

Intermediate 
As"curation partner" 

or "resource library" 

Selection and Utilization: Actively use the algorithm to 

search for specific genres, but critically filter its 

recommendations, using them as material for self-

curation. 

D02, X04 

Expert 

As"an opponent to 

dialogue with or even 

contest" 

Domestication and Resistance: Intentionally rate niche 

films disliked by the algorithm highly to "train" it; or use 

anti-algorithm strategies (e.g., deliberately rating 

commercial films low) to assert taste and perform 

symbolic resistance. 

D04, M02 

 

Respondent D02's candid statement summarizes this complicity: "I know it wants me to mark more, interact more, 

but I need it to help me remember what I've watched. We're using each other." 

4.4 The Ritualized Discipline of Platform Time 

Platforms transform linear physical time into culturally significant ritual time through "mediatized time nodes," 

imposing ritualized discipline on user behavior. 

Users are highly sensitive to the "annual report time window." M01 described: "As soon as late December arrives, 

I start anticipating and refreshing Douban, checking if the annual report is out. It's like a year-end ritual; without 

it, the year doesn't feel properly concluded." Platforms reinforce temporal discipline through technical means, such 

as countdown posters and splash screen animations, thereby incorporating users into a unified rhythm. 

This discipline produces a dual effect. On one hand, it creates a shared ritual moment for the community, enhancing 

the sense of belonging (X05: "That day, my Moments were flooded with reports; it felt like everyone was attending 

the same party"). On the other hand, it completes the capital cycle. Through the annual summary, platforms 

successfully datafy and commodify users' year-long cultural consumption behaviors, laying the groundwork for 

the next year's algorithmic recommendations and traffic distribution, thus completing the closed loop of ritual 

reproduction and capital reproduction. 

5. Discussion 

Through the analysis of social media movie viewing reports, this study reveals how the traditional private 

consumption behavior of "watching films" transforms into a complex, public cultural practice of "performing 

films" in the platform society. This study will further delve into its underlying mechanisms, internal contradictions, 

and theoretical implications. 

5.1 The Ritual Functions of Viewing Reports 

Viewing reports is far from a simple data summary; their core lies in performing powerful ritual functions, 

becoming an important medium for maintaining digital community relationships. 

First, time marking and collective memory. Over 80% of interviewees synchronized the act of publishing reports 

with the transition to the New Year, participating in "mediatized time rituals" (Couldry & Hepp, 2017). Through 

technical means, such as countdowns and splash screen animations, platforms transform Greenwich Mean Time 

into culturally significant "Douban Time" or "Xiaohongshu Time." Users shape digital collective memory through 

synchronized publishing. As D05 stated: "It's like bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new in the digital 

age. Not posting one feels like the year isn't complete." 

Second, community access and the cultural capital "visa." Viewing reports has become a visible credential of 

cultural capital, acting as "entry permits" for digital communities. For instance, posts on Xiaohongshu seeking 

"movie buddies" often require applicants to "attach an annual report screenshot." This indicates that the film's 

ratings and aesthetic tendencies within the reports become a reliable basis for strangers to establish trust and make 

social judgments quickly. It functions like a cultural passport, where the "visas" (markings of highbrow/niche films, 



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specific genre preferences) determine whether a user can gain entry into a particular community of taste. This fully 

demonstrates that Bourdieu's theory of distinction operates more concretely and visibly in the digital age. 

5.2 The Tension between Platform Power and User Agency 

The performative practice of viewing reports constitutes a dynamic field of continuous negotiation between 

platform power and user agency. Platforms exercise "architectural power" through their technical frameworks and 

the temporal discipline of report cycles. This power does not command directly but shapes the boundaries of 

possible user behavior by setting the available options. 

However, users demonstrate considerable agency within this architecture, generating three core tensions. First, the 

tension between scripting and improvisation: users simultaneously utilize the platform's standardized "script" 

while contesting dominance through personalized micro-manipulations, anti-algorithmic curation, and other forms 

of "improvisational performance." Second, the paradox of data colonization and meaning replenishment: the 

platform systematically transforms user emotions and tastes into extractable data, effecting a form of "data 

colonization"; users, in turn, actively infuse this process with emotional value and social meaning, willingly 

participating in exchange for symbolic rewards, resulting in an unstable collusion between capital logic and the 

search for meaning. Third, the contradiction between internalized discipline and the pursuit of autonomy: platform 

rules are often internalized by users as their own logic of action, yet their anxiety regarding "authenticity" 

simultaneously drives a constant quest for aesthetic self-determination. 

User agency does not exist outside power but is precisely manifested through ongoing navigation and negotiation 

with power structures. This tension profoundly reveals the complexity of the subject's condition within the platform 

society. 

5.3 The Contradictions of Identity Construction 

User identity construction is fraught with inherent contradictions and tensions, reflecting the complex dilemmas 

of self-presentation in the platform society. 

First, the interplay between authenticity and performativity. Over half of the interviewees admitted to modifying 

their reports based on anticipated feedback from others, such as "inflating the rating of a popular film to gain more 

likes" or "concealing viewing records they deemed 'unrefined'." This reveals a fundamental conflict between the 

platform's incentive structures and users' authentic expression. Users desire community recognition (and cultural 

capital accumulation) through performance, yet fear that this performance deviates from the "true self," generating 

a form of "self-alienation under the algorithmic gaze." 

Second, the contradiction between strategic vulnerability and sophisticated identity management. To mitigate the 

tension above, users develop a refined set of identity management strategies. Among these, "strategic 

vulnerability" is particularly emblematic. As one respondent (M03) aptly stated: "Intentionally inserting a film like 

Tiny Times into an art film list to show 'vulnerability' makes one seem both interesting and unpretentious." This 

art of impression management involves proactively exposing a harmless "flaw" to mask a larger performativity, 

thereby crafting a persona of "authentic expertise" and navigating Goffman's front stage with finesse. 

5.4 Theoretical Contributions 

This study bridges cultural sociology and platform studies by proposing two core concepts. The first is Algorithmic 

Taste Performance. This concept integrates Bourdieu's concept of "taste" with Goffman's notion of "performance" 

within the algorithmic context, positing that contemporary cultural taste is not entirely endogenous to the 

individual but is co-constructed through ongoing interaction with platform algorithms. The "script" for user 

performance is heavily guided by algorithmic recommendations, popularity charts, and template designs; 

conversely, algorithmic judgments are built upon massive datasets of user performance. Therefore, "performative 

viewing" is a form of taste performance complicit with algorithms, revealing that the operational mechanism of 

cultural capital accumulation has profoundly shifted from traditional social fields to the algorithmically mediated 

platform field. 

The second is Visibility Capital. Under the dominance of the platform's visual logic, cultural capital must become 

visible to be recognized and converted. Traditional, deeply embodied cultural capital must be rendered into visible, 

objectified forms—such as data, charts, and nine-square grids—to participate in social distinction effectively. 

Consequently, this study proposes "visibility capital"—defined as the capacity to externalize and display 

internalized cultural capital through platform-approved visual formats to garner attention, recognition, and social 

currency—as a crucial new form of cultural capital. It is both an extension of traditional cultural capital in the 

digital age and a result of its operational rules being reconfigured by platform logic. 



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5.5 Practical Implications 

The findings of this study also offer important implications for platform design, user practice, and educators. For 

platform designers, there is a critical need to guard against the risk of aesthetic homogenization driven by 

algorithmic recommendations and templatization. They should consider how technical features—such as 

supporting "recommendation-free" reporting channels, enabling more flexible personalized editing, and promoting 

more niche content—can nurture rather than tame user taste, thereby assuming the social responsibility of cultural 

"curators" rather than "domesticators." 

For users, it is advisable to cultivate a reflexive awareness of media use. Users can proactively establish periods 

of "non-display viewing"—consciously detaching from the instrumental mindset of "watching films for the sake 

of posting reports" and engaging in consumption devoid of performative intent, purely for pleasure. Safeguarding 

this aesthetic autonomy is a vital strategy for resisting the excessive encroachment of platform logic and preserving 

the authenticity of cultural consumption. 

For educators, "algorithmic taste" can be incorporated into media literacy education, fostering the next generation's 

capacity for critical reflection on platform culture. 

6. Conclusion 

Through the analysis of social media movie viewing reports, this study reveals how the traditional private 

consumption behavior of "watching films" transforms into a complex, public cultural practice of "performing 

films" within the platform society. The research finds that viewing reports is a form of ritualized production 

achieved through multiple strategies, including adherence to visual order, personalized micro-manipulations, and 

anti-algorithmic curation. Users' performance strategies exhibit a gradient differentiation—from "quantitative 

display" to "authority construction"—based on their cultural capital stock. A complicit relationship exists between 

users and algorithms, ranging from compliance and utilization to resistance. Meanwhile, platforms successfully 

implement ritualized discipline over user behavior by creating "mediatized time nodes." 

Theoretically, the key contribution of this study lies in integrating dramaturgical theory and cultural capital theory 

within the algorithmic context, proposing the core concept of Algorithmic Taste Performance. This reveals that 

contemporary cultural taste is neither wholly endogenous to the individual nor imposed by platforms, but is co-

constructed through the continuous interaction between user performance and algorithmic recommendation. Each 

user’s act of marking, rating, and curating serves simultaneously as impression management based on personal 

aesthetics and as a data source for training and feeding back into the algorithm, thereby collectively shaping 

dynamic, quantifiable taste boundaries. Furthermore, the visual logic of the platform society establishes a core rule: 

cultural capital must become visible to be recognized and validated as effective capital. Based on this, the study 

proposes Visibility Capital, arguing that embodied cultural cultivation must be externalized and displayed through 

platform-approved visual forms (such as data, charts, and nine-square grids) to effectively participate in social 

distinction and identity construction. This deeply reconstructs the traditional rules of cultural capital accumulation 

and display. 

Although this study has limitations, including its focus on specific platforms and its primarily qualitative 

methodology, it provides a significant perspective for understanding identity construction in the digital age. 

Viewing reports is not merely a new form of cultural consumption but also a micro-political field. They both 

perpetuate the traditional logic of cultural distinction and accurately reflect the new power relations within 

algorithmic society, as well as the complex state of human-computer interaction. A deep understanding of this 

phenomenon not only aids in grasping the evolution of contemporary film culture but also provides a crucial 

theoretical entry point and practical reference for rethinking technologically mediated self-identity. 

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