My Celebrity Look-alikes

8:13 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Culture and Media in the U.S. and China

10 days in China, split between Shanghai and Beijing. A team of 7 researchers, including a professor of comparative media studies, 4 graduate students from MIT and Harvard, an anthropology PhD, and one delightful Irishman. And a jam-packed research schedule of observations, pictures, focus groups and interviews with people ranging from everyday bloggers to the CEO of Bokee. While somewhat less formal than a research report, I owe a few preliminary (read: unrefined) thoughts comparing the experience of this trip with my 23 years of experience in the United States; so here goes: U.S. vs. China, with respect to blogs, cell phones, and road rules (my three areas of self-appointed expertise).

Blogging: American Angst, Chinese Celebrities

Last fall, I conducted a pilot survey-based study of American online journalers (that subset of blogging I find most intriguing) with the loose aim of discovering why it is that someone would post their most personal thoughts and experiences in such a public forum. Many respondents claimed that they used their online diary as a place to vent- to release those thoughts and feelings that, for whatever reason, are left pent up inside of them at the end of the day. In many ways, joked a few of the respondents, this corresponds with our stereotype of teenage Xangas and LiveJournals (and American interaction in general?): passive-aggressive, narcissistic, and melodramatic. Sometimes the anonymity provides the escape, opening up completely to people whom youll never have to face; other times, the attraction is- like with AIM profiles and away messages- that of indirect (and ostensibly undirected) but poignant communication.

While this is, in many (most?) cases, a caricature- and while recognizing the countless other (more important?) functions of these journals, from expression to personal support to communication- perhaps there are a few kernels of insight to be gathered. How many times each day do we hold our truth-bearing tongues, fearing the interpersonal ramifications of honesty? How many fake-smile based relationships do we maintain with people wed like to strangle? And why is it that we often feel most alone when surrounded by a group of our own peers? We are taught from youth to doubt our independent thoughts and repress our vibrant emotions, until daily social intercourse is leveled to the lowest-common denominator that impersonality can produce. Is it any wonder, then, that such thoughts and feelings explode out into cyberspace when finally given the opportunity? Blogging is a personal solution to that problem we collectively create. But should we applaud it for the release it affords, or instead wonder why such a release is necessary in the first place?

With only a handful of interviews and a none-too-inconspicuous language barrier, its a bit more difficult to pin down Chinese internet use, much less use it as a springboard for cynicism- an attitude best reserved for natives, anyway. But we did speak extensively with a few people who are certainly in the business of knowing about such things, and also with a group of everyday users in Shanghai. We met Evan and Ma of eMaViSioN (http://www.myspace.com/emavision) and Victor from USST (http://www.myspace.com/gua0888) both through MySpace- the former use the site to snowball interest for their amazing music, the latter has a keen desire to know how those across the Pacific view his own culture. In the focus group of bloggers, some explained that they use blogging to meet new people; others prefer to keep within their own RL crowd, preferring not to trust those theyve never met. Online journals are the favored form of blog in China, strongly paralleling the U.S. in the desire for personal expression and a bit of philosophizing- not so much venting, though, and a bit more factual. A couple trends, however, are noteworthy:

First, those individuals we spoke to seemed to be oriented extensively- in some cases exclusively- on the comment aspect of blogs. To deny the importance of this feature in the U.S. case, of course, would be foolish, as many bloggers enjoy or rely on the interactive benefits of online journaling as well. Nonetheless, a couple bloggers noted that their writing is often completely geared towards tallying up their responses: an entry with no comments is a failure.

Second, and relatedly, the interest in comments on ones own blog is often surpassed by the interest in commenting on others- most notably, on Chinas infamous celebrity blogs. To my count, everyone in that room pays tribute to Xu Jing Leis site (the #1 blogger in the world, see http://blog.sina.com.cn/m/xujinglei), whether contributing to the endless stream of comments or just getting up to date on the daily life of this famous actress and director. Whats the appeal? Bloggers said that they loved learning, from the details of her daily personal life, that this celebrity is just like a normal person, after all. And that, by implication, normal people can do amazing things. Our team argued for a bit over whether this type of blogging phenomenon occurs in the U.S. as well (the debate ended, sadly, in the conclusion that Kevin Smith is not Xu Jing Leis American parallel)- and, of course, over what this means. The Chinese love reading celebrity blogs (Xu Jing Leis is hardly the only one), it seemed, because theyre so humanizing- you come to view the actress or actor as someone just like yourself. In America, instead, we have magazines like Us Weekly, People, and everything else in that section of the magazine rack that seem to serve exactly the opposite purpose: that of dehumanizing or, often, objectifying the famous people of our country. Do we care what American celebrities are thinking or feeling or, much less, what they had for breakfast? Or do we alternate between taking delight in their misfortunes and breakups, on the one hand, and ogling over their (lets face it, abnormal) bodies and fashion, on the other? Celebrity appeal here rests in pushing famous people further away, while the appeal in China rests in bringing them closer. The latter feels a bit warmer (and, as is the point, less American)- but perhaps David Riesman best phrases the take-home message for youths and young adults of both countries:

If the other-directed people should discover how much needless work they do, discover that their own thoughts and their own lives are quite as interesting as other peoples, that, indeed, they no more assuage their loneliness in a crowd of peers than one can assuage ones thirst by drinking sea water, then we might expect them to become more attentive to their own feelings and aspirations.

Cell Phones: Distraction, Preoccupation or- Communication?

Cambridge, Massachusetts. San Diego, California. Or San Jose, California (this exhausts my repertoire)- could be anywhere, I think its safe to say. One of those schizophrenic businessmen walks by again, muttering to himself and gesticulating wildly. Then you notice that little gadget tucked in his ear, and you wonder whos crazy, after all: him for wearing such a thing, or you for continuing to find it strange in the first place? A woman sits alone on the bus, complaining loudly into her phone about her indigestion and sore feet and OH MY GAWD! Did you see what she was WEARING??? Three teenagers sit around a restaurant table, ignoring each other as they stare into their laps, thumbs tap-dancing text messages on the keypads. Communication, sure. Emergencies, and last-minute meetings, and free long distance- all for it. But didnt we all get along pretty well just several years ago, when elementary school kids didnt own the things? Whether its while waiting for the bus or while walking between classes (thankfully, no signal in the subway), either the cell phone or its bedfellow, the iPod, pops out. Either way, Americans seem to have an aural fetish (ha). Efficient for communication, pleasant for adding a soundtrack to your life, and comforting either way, there seem to be two less fortunate functions of such tuning-away or tuning-out: one personal, one interpersonal.

With respect to the former: For me at least, the music comes on when I want my mind to go off. Some people are much better at this thinking/listening thing than I am, and Ill admit sometimes a good song gives rise to contemplation, but I often equate music to mental escape. Some people cant stand boredom; others, immobility in general. The art of meditation certainly finds rare home in the American landscape. Would we spend more time in our thoughts- in reflection, in personal growth, even in resurrecting those creative daydreams that dissipate with age- if we spent less time on the phone? And, relatedly, would we spend more time absorbing and engaging that environment around us that otherwise just trickles by each day, a passive film strip to go with the mental vacancy? Again, not that all music-listeners are idle-minded, nor all cell phone interaction vacant. But lets be realistic: when was the last time you felt that profound sense of personal growth and satisfaction after a deep and lengthy SMS-chat?

With respect to the latter: Theres an ongoing debate in the social capital literature regarding whether or not the internet brings people closer together or pushes them further apart. People are communicating, yes- but your grandparents would have a thing or two to say about the importance of old-fashioned face-to-face communication, instead. This argument, of course, can be applied to the whole blogging community thing above, too- but also, of course, to cell phones. Both the iPod buds and the phone earpiece are surefire ways of ensuring, if anything, that others will leave you alone. Dont get me wrong- I know sometimes this can be a good thing, as weve all sat next to him on some occasion. But in most other cases, a) we could probably stand to meet a few new people; and b) is the phone conversation youre having really all that important, anyway? Once more, were unable to enjoy the pleasure of our own company, and we need to constantly surround ourselves with noise- but not the voice of a real person, in person.

Shanghai, China; Beijing, China. Phones ring so frequently in a business conference that no one bats an eyelash at the sudden explosion of digital music. Flip phones, sliding phones, camera-phones, video-phones, phones of all shapes, colors and sizes, some even with full QWERTY keyboards. Everyone has one- some have more than one- to the degree that this is a technology which, like in the U.S., has even drawn in those of older generations (Blogging still hasnt caught on so much with mom and dad, though. Yet.). And while QQ, MSN Messenger, etc. are extremely popular, everyone uses their phone, as well. Grabbing occasional strangers for impromptu interviews in a Beijing shopping area, Geoff and Liwen almost refused to let me ask: So, what happens if I live in China but dont own a cell phone? due to the clear absurdity of the question. A Chinese friend of mine, exaggerating only slightly, best captured the responses: you might as well be dead.

Quite a few comments about the American case can be generalized to that of China, too, Im sure; though personally, I would try to draw a distinction between Chinese preoccupation and American dependency, if such a distinction is possible. I can elaborate this preoccupation in language a bit more agreeable to everyone, which came up in our meeting with a couple important folks at Motorola in Beijing:

Walking around and asking people to show you their precious little gadgets, you easily get the impression that the Chinese are highly concerned with having the newest technology with the coolest (maybe most superfluous?) functions. We soon realized, however, that this conclusion reflected more about the U.S. lag in technology than the Chinese preoccupation with it. Chinese phones are cool- but most people, in fact, dont have the latest and greatest. As the Motorola employees told us, consumers are more interested in achieving status rather than being on the cutting edge. Therefore, their interest is in having a new big, fancy, expensive phone rather than the best one. Tolerance for poor quality is higher, a necessary sacrifice in exchange for something flashy and visual (which, incidentally, contrasts notably with the Western aesthetic of simplicity in this rare instance- how ironic); the interest is in show, not in functionality. Perhaps this is why phones are left on all the time, even in situations where an unexpected ring would be considered impolite in the U.S.: what better excuse to show off your phone than using it?

This provides a great example of conspicuous consumption, in a sense- or, better, conspicuous communication- an argument that could also reasonably be applied to the American case, to a certain extent. But what an odd swap for our typically superficial and image-oriented culture- that, in this rare instance, we actually care a bit about function (Can you hear me now?), while Chinese kids buy more into the show/status game. Interesting, though, that image in their culture still seems to revolve more around technology, while ours well, the Verizon geek may actually be the perfect example. American idols advertise for clothes, soda, and occasionally credit cards and services- hardly electronics.

Phones in both countries are ubiquitous; text messaging is increasingly so; and God only knows whats coming next (Some of our team bets on moblogging. Yeah, I had to ask, too, and if you dont you should be ashamed of yourself, you geek. Thanks, Geoff.). But phones in China, while fetishized, might still be classified as an accessory. Phones in the states, meanwhile, have become a reusable drug. To be without one in either country is to live on a social island of only one inhabitant- a situation highly impractical to the Chinese, but unbearable for the American.

Driving: Road Rage Meets Auto-Darwinism

Here, I need to start with the Chinese case, because Im still in awe of the fact that we taxied around two major cities for 10 days and didnt accumulate a single biker as a hood ornament- nor another car, for that matter. In the U.S., some people have a pretty good grasp over the dimensions of their car. These are the people who can manage those ridiculously tight parallel parking jobs with great ease. In Shanghai and Beijing, however, imagine the same type of grasp over space- while hurtling down the freeway. The horn, indeed, is used almost as frequently as the accelerator (except, oddly, around those bizarre no trumpet signs); but cars dart left and right and all over the place- like clockwork. One car passes another without technically leaving the same lane. A taxi accomplishes an illegal left-turn from the right-turn lane, inches away from getting his little Jetta smashed (Yes, I said taxi, and yes, I said Jetta.). And the crazier thing is, bikers- speeding through red lights with traffic coming both ways- and, craziest, people- standing, I shit you not, in the middle of a 4-lane expressway- are doing the same thing. All without blinking an eye.

Some of us adjusted to this quite quickly- in Geoffs case, to the point of egging on the airport van driver further. Others, like Liz, were scared for their life throughout. And still others- namely, Stephen- amazingly even adapted to the system, strolling out into the street regardless of what was coming. Personally, I got a kick out of the whole thing; but how was it possible that, in 10 days surrounded by myriad cars (I do mean myriad- traffic in Beijing is horrible), I didnt see a single accident, and only one guy stalled with a bent fender?

Stephen caught on quickly; and Geoff soon explained in terms I could (as of this past spring, thanks Prof. Wimmer and Dan) understand. Theres a concept in sociology called emergence, the typical example of which is the formation birds create as they fly. The behavior of each individual unit is determined exclusively by a small set of simple micro-level rules that tell the unit how to react to other units in the immediate vicinity. Throw a bunch of such regulated actors- be they birds, boids, or bicyclists, as it turns out- into the same arena of movement, and macro-level patterns will emerge. This, then, can be used to explain everything from the flying formation of birds to housing segregation patterns to, apparently, Chinese traffic. It must be beautiful to watch from above. Drivers clearly dont follow any formal laws; it seems that such laws are, if anything, almost completely disregarded. In the words of Geoff, however, the entire traffic systems of Shanghai and Beijing appear to be regulated by one very simple, local, unspoken but nonetheless unwavering principle: I was here first. Whether youre on four wheels, two wheels or two legs, it seems that if you get in front of something else that moves before it gets there first, it will stop for you. There will likely be an elongated honk, and maybe a few angry words (that, in our case, thankfully we couldnt understand)- but, in most cases, youll probably survive. (Note: For those headed to China in the near future, please appreciate the rhetorical exaggeration)

In the United States, of course, the complete opposite is the case: being there first doesnt guarantee you a thing. In fact, it will likely just make the other person angrier. The success of the Chinese driving system is premised on predictability; the countless American driving accidents each day result from the utter unpredictability of everyone on the road. Were taught defensive driving in drivers ed- something that might get you killed abroad, where the best defense is a strong and consistent offense. The Chinese system is based on confidence; the American system is based on a deep-seated self-doubt reflected in constant lapses into hesitation. Did I make the right turn? Was I allowed to do that? Where the hell am I? Whats worse, however, is that this hesitation- whatever its root- is often justified, as there often is no telling what will happen next on the road. Changing lanes without looking; exploring one-way streets without taking the time to consider which direction the crucial arrow is pointing; drunk driving; and even confusing the brake and accelerator pedals- an embarrassing though perhaps excusable mistake for a teen learning to drive, but what about that old fellow who killed how many people from such a blunder? And, of course, there are the more harmless things that we run into all the time. Like that idiot thats been driving for 23 minutes with his left blinker on and deserves to be slapped. And, finally, Americans for the life of us are completely incapable of concentrating on the road. Most often its the cell phone (back again) or makeup; frequently the radio or CD player; even occasionally theres a woman turned completely around in her seat to fiddle with something behind her. And this, of course, is only when theres nothing outside that takes precedence, like a few smashed cars and the prospect of seeing something gory. Brake lights alight in front of you, wheels screeching to a halt as the driver realizes hes just passed his exit of interest; you slam into his rear, too absorbed in clipping your toenails while simultaneously calling your girlfriend and drinking your morning cup of coffee to realize what happened soon enough to react; and some other imbecile immediately destroys your back bumper, having been tailgating close enough to read your speedometer while driving with his knees. Thus, we have the three cardinal, interwoven rules of the American driving experience: hesitation, distraction, and utter, utter incompetence.

The Chinese take their driving seriously. They drive like maniacs, but theyre focused about it; unbelievably, throughout our trip I rarely saw drivers on cell phones. Just for fun, lets make an interesting analogy: take the Chinese adult with his driving, and juxtapose the Chinese teenager with his schooling. The former follows his single dictum- go- the latter follows his internalized mandate- succeed. With, in most cases, only one child to the set of parents, the pressure to excel in Chinas educational system makes American anxiety about college admissions look like that of a game of Heads Up Seven Up. Intense competition; tremendous expectation; unending schoolwork; and, somewhere in the background, a childhood to be enjoyed.

In the U.S., driving accidents happen because no one is paying enough attention to what theyre doing. Quite understandable, because its much better to sacrifice quality and do many things simultaneously, not really knowing- or caring- what goes on with any particular one of them. To extend the analogy, the American education problem, then, is perhaps that we dont know what we want to do with it. In ages past, there was no choice: you were set on a certain path, and the question of whether or not youd like it didnt exist. Now, you have the competing aims of making money, acquiring status, helping society, and doing something personally fulfilling- with no one to make the choice for you. Four cars, facing each other at a stop sign, immobile in complete uncertainty concerning whose turn it is to go- and unsure of which direction to go in, anyway. And, finally, the Chinese counterpart: two drivers competing resolutely for the same physical space, uncertain of who, in truth, was there first.

The Chinese student is socialized with the inflexible goal of academic success. Success is scarce, competition is inevitable, happiness expendable, and failure unacceptable. The American student is socialized with the vacuous mandate of doing what one likes, or in some cases still what one is supposed to do. Success is ambiguous, competition is cooperation, anxiety is normalized. Which is worse: Having a purpose that is not your own? Or having no purpose at all?

The Technological Horizon

So the car and academics thing is a bit of a tangent. But we went to China to study culture and technology, in a sense, so thats the topic to which Ill return. Mobile media use, online social networks, and two national cultures- or a few somewhat-less-than-representative cities and experiences in each, at least- compared:

In the United States of America, were supposed to have freedom everywhere: of expression, of association, of thought. We take this freedom, and we use it to express ourselves through the same modes and with the same messages as everyone else, maintaining just enough conformity to be safe, but just enough differentiation to sustain a healthy belief in ones own individuality. We are surrounded by a world of creatures that are human, like us, but nonetheless beautiful in their infinite variation- and we limit ourselves to the convenient and the homogenous, people who will leave our boundaries comfortably intact as we return the favor. And we live in a society, overseen by a government- in principle, at least- in which our minds are free to wander, inhibited only by the bounds of creativity and imagination and aspiration- and yet we shackle ourselves to convention and ease.

Within most people, however, the spark of personal identity refuses to be completely extinguished; it forces itself back to the surface out of necessity. Sometimes it emerges as a feeble protest; other times it ignites into a brilliant though transient flame. We tread through our day, drowning ourselves in noise. We sit at home, free in isolation to type those thoughts and feelings we otherwise fail to acknowledge the existence of. We often acquire technology simply because its what everyone else is doing; and, subsequently, we discover why theyre doing it. Sometimes its a good reason. Not always.

In the Peoples Republic of China, there is a curious mix of inhibition and curiosity, stagnation and vitality. Most individuals are still largely driven by the values with which they were raised- conservative values that encourage success by playing the rules of the game, and winning. Traditional forms of media are often dull. And from abroad, countries like the U.S. continue to limit their attention to certain less open aspects of Chinese culture and politics. The full picture, however, is much, much broader. Against the aforementioned backdrop, reactions are emerging; individuation is developing; a society is becoming vibrant, while perhaps unsteady in its direction at times. When asked to describe their generation in one word, a surprising number of the young adults we spoke with said freedom- freedom to do, and be, and express whatever they like.

Is this discovery surprising? Perhaps it is in fact because of, or rather in response to, the pervasiveness of tradition that the Chinese are becoming more creatively ambitious, more internationally extended, more excited and energetic and, in a word, untraditional. If the American technological scene is tinged with catharsis, then that of the Chinese is electrified with fascination- sometimes concerning the possibility, sometimes concerning the gilded exterior. Countless Chinese students are bored with school, so they stay up all night in internet cafés network gaming. Others, impressed more with the academic pursuit, look down on this waste of time- but find liberation in blogging, instead.

The spheres of American and Chinese use of technology each represent different themes and reflect distinct cultural identities. But each sphere is also very large and very diverse; and, perhaps unsurprisingly, they overlap to a considerable degree:

Technology is escape.

This constitutes the form. The important differences, then, and the important questions- answers to which I have already suggested- lie in the content: what, precisely, each culture is running to and running from; and whether this is an act of cowardice or discovery.

11:23 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment