Technology-enabled subcultures among Chinese youths: smartphone addiction, virtual social capital, and ACGN addiction Online publication date: Fri, 22-Dec-2023
by Xiaoxiao Meng; Yungeng Li
International Journal of Mobile Communications (IJMC), Vol. 23, No. 1, 2024
Abstract: The anime, comics, video games, and novels (ACGN) subculture is the most popular subculture among Chinese youths. Also known as Erciyuan culture in China, youths use technology to participate in this subculture, primarily consuming ACGN content via their smartphones. There is an increasing trend of addiction to smartphones and to the ACGN subculture among Chinese youths. Using social capital theory and drawing on survey data from Chinese ACGN fans, this paper examines the mechanisms underlying smartphone and ACGN subculture addiction using a moderated mediation model. The findings reveal that smartphone addiction is positively related to ACGN content addiction. Bridging and bonding social capital mediate this relationship, whereas perceived stigma of participation in the ACGN subculture moderates it. The implications of the findings regarding participation in technology-enabled Chinese subcultures are also discussed.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Mobile Communications (IJMC):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook