‘I Have Always Seen People Who're out of My League!’: Algorithmic Visibility of the Pretty, Productive and Professional Femininities on Rednote
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT This article examines Rednote , a lifestyle and e‐commerce platform in China predominantly used by women to share personal stories, tutorials, and advice. With over 300 million monthly active users, more than 70% of whom are female, Rednote has become a vibrant space where Chinese women perform and negotiate femininities. This study focuses on a cohort of well‐educated, middle‐class women, who comprise the first generation raised under China's one‐child policy. Benefiting from concentrated educational investment, this demographic is projected to form a significant segment of the national workforce. Despite their prominence on Rednote , they have received little scholarly attention regarding how algorithms mediate gendered subjectivities. This research investigates emerging femininities represented by a selection of these micro‐bloggers and explores their encounters with Rednote 's algorithms. The findings reveal how algorithms mobilise women to become prettier, more productive, consumption‐driven, and self‐disciplined professionals. The article concludes by conceptualising ‘algorithmic visibility as governmentality’ to explain how visibility, meritocracy, and community interrelate to reinforce postfeminist femininities and consumerism on Rednote .
Source: Asia Pacific Viewpoint
DOI: 10.1111/apv.70023
Author: Ran Xi
Language: English
Topic: Gender, Feminism, and Media
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Gender equality
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4416395963