About Internet culture and non-mainstream culture
In the information age with the explosion of knowledge, our lives are increasingly inseparable from the Internet, which makes our study, work and life Great changes have taken place, and its popularity has made modern culture more colorful and derived many new forms. This article analyzes a form of popular culture derived from Internet culture - Internet non-mainstream culture.
The so-called Internet culture refers to human culture in the Internet age, also known as the "second media age" [1]; non-mainstream culture, as the name suggests, refers to unique, distinctive, and non-conformist culture The small group subculture is a supplement to the mainstream culture of social mass media. [2] Its communication target is mainly teenagers, especially the post-90s generation who express their individuality and advocate alternative. It is a new cultural branch that has developed rapidly as a subculture group on the Internet in recent years.
2. Expressions of non-mainstream culture on the Internet
If we want to intuitively understand the phenomenon of non-mainstream culture on the Internet, then we should first understand some of its manifestations.
(1) Picture style - similar youthful expressions
Photos are usually taken by taking selfies with a mobile phone, and the background themes selected are usually Ferris wheels, telephone poles, balloons, pavements and The ground covered with fallen leaves, the sky with large clouds, the blood stains, the affectionate kiss on the park bench without anyone around, etc.
Generally, boys have short and straight hair in the front and long and drooping hair in the back. They wear plate eye frames and loose clothes. From the back, it seems impossible to tell the difference between men and women. Girls, on the other hand, have The main tone is cuteness: thick eyebrow-length bangs, thick eyelashes, big watery eyes, and a small cherry mouth. When posing, he will pretend to be demented and decadent, and he likes to pout at the camera at an angle of 45 degrees to show a very "kawaii" feeling. The placement of the feet is mostly pigeon-toed, which is slightly revealing and provocative. This photo-taking pose has now developed into a very popular non-mainstream cute culture.
In terms of computer post-production, non-mainstream pictures have obvious traces of software correction, such as cheeks with a sudden pink halo; pupils with large pupils and iris colors that are different from ordinary people's eyes, and strange-colored hair. etc. Moreover, we will specially arrange the color balance of the picture, create special effects such as black and white effect, and add text with different fonts and staggered to reshape the picture, striving to make the picture express a certain mood from composition to color to layout. .
However, we can also see that non-mainstream pictures on the Internet are gradually showing a trend of stereotyping, which is mainly determined by the aesthetics of their fans. For example, in most non-mainstream pictures of people, Girls like to wear heavy makeup, stare with bulging cheeks, and look young, while boys like to dress up in strange clothes and look dark with backlighting. Not only do the pictures lose their individuality, but they also highlight the lack of a certain depth in non-mainstream pictures of teenagers.
(2) Writing style - the language of Martians
Mars script appeared, which is a special language that uses homophones, similar-sounding words, and special symbols to represent sounds. Network input method text has now developed into a font composed of traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, ancient characters, rare characters, emoticons and other non-standardized characters. At first glance, it really looks like garbled characters or typos. Some "Mars characters" can only be found in the "Kangxi Dictionary" or "Cihai", but not in the general Xinhua dictionary, so the Martian characters also mean the earth. Words that no one can understand.
"Mars Wen" first became popular as a game term in bubble halls in mainland China, and then quickly spread through QQ information and chat, becoming the preferred language for many young people. When the user population and new phrases formed a certain scale, some Internet experts who were keen on software development appeared to produce special software for "Mars writing".
It is undeniable that Martian literature has played a positive role in the activation of Internet language, but at the same time, the new generation of young people who are fans and disseminators of Martian literature have also been subject to certain restrictions in terms of writing and culture. Negatively misleading.
(3) Website style - early-maturing green fruit
Non-mainstream websites have launched non-mainstream QQ space templates, non-mainstream mobile phone wallpapers, teaching how to make non-mainstream pictures, and Mars literature , non-mainstream music, non-mainstream information, non-mainstream signatures, non-mainstream makeup skills, non-mainstream clothing matching and other "non-mainstream trendy people" clubs, many post-90s have become loyal fans of such sites. However, at present, non-mainstream websites have gone from prosperity to stability after several years of development. A large amount of the same content is overflowing. At the same time, the website is filled with unhealthy life attitudes, advertisements, and information from time to time, which has had a great negative impact on the physical and mental development of young people. .
The most typical one is QQ space, such as QQ signature, non-mainstream modules, non-mainstream flash, pouting style, thriller photos, PS photos, etc. Non-mainstream people decorate QQ space in a bright and colorful way. They often post some violent, bloody, self-harm, decadent, and exposed pictures in QQ space, accompanied by a sentence, such as: "Without you, my world will not be the same." Meaning"; "Loving you is the only reason for me to live" and so on. The space background is mostly black, and the log is a "Mars text" that flashes.
Although they pay attention to the decoration of QQ space and blogs, etc., which have strong visual and auditory impact, from the content point of view, there are few text materials that are readable and learnable, and there are more exaggerated decorations, exciting pictures, and videos. , a simple stacking of pop music and decoration, which is hollow in essence.
In real life, their words and deeds also tend to be impetuous and vulgar. The topics they discuss mainly revolve around fashion stars, pop songs, non-mainstream clothing, vulgar jokes and game life, ridicule, avoiding the sublime, and they also post some diaries about love, especially failed love. It shows that no one cares about them, they are eager to be affirmed and recognized, they are individual-centered, they do not care what others think, they have lost hope in the current society, they give up on themselves and other decadent thoughts. They seem to have seen through the world of mortals at a young age.
Three general characteristics of Internet non-mainstream culture
1. Sociality and reality
As a subcultural group, the Internet non-mainstream phenomenon is a part of social culture. An important component, the Internet phenomenon represented by the widespread circulation of Martian texts and the proliferation of non-mainstream alternative pictures is no longer just an individual phenomenon of a group or circle, but a manifestation of a unique subcultural phenomenon in society. It can be said that the emergence of non-mainstream culture is the result of cultural choices made by members of society.
At the same time, we should also be aware that today's society is developing rapidly. Under the impact of the market economy, popular culture has gradually shown an increasingly serious tendency of kitsch, causing a considerable number of young people to be negatively affected by society and indulge in materialism. and hedonism, being addicted to online entertainment, games, chatting, etc., and losing interest in learning. Instead, they regard decadent thoughts and listlessness as an alternative and fashionable lifestyle.
2. Spontaneity and contingency
Generally speaking, non-mainstream culture on the Internet is formed spontaneously on the Internet. It is an accidental free culture without organization and planning. Therefore, it is gradually accepted by many teenagers during its formation, which is also determined by its cultural characteristics and the psychology of teenagers. Because teenagers are the most curious period in a person's life, they don't like to follow the footsteps of adults, but try to prove their existence and value in unique ways.
3. Blindness and conformity
The visual impact and individual liberation of non-mainstream culture have attracted the followers of many teenagers. When we look at the psychological development characteristics of teenagers According to analysis, they have strong development, plasticity and rebelliousness, and their value judgments are immature and their behavior is blind. While pursuing individuality, they are also prone to falling into the imitation of fashion. This is a common contradiction in philosophy. sex and specialness. Therefore, when they pursue non-mainstream cultural trends on the Internet, in addition to being blind, they also have a certain degree of conformity.
4. Guide the correct development of non-mainstream online culture for young people
(1) Strengthen the Internet supervision mechanism
We need to strengthen the management of online communication and reject the influence of online media Kitsch development, reducing online violence and online porn culture, in order to optimize the online environment, and strive to create a positive, healthy and orderly non-mainstream online environment.
Luo Kaifu, the former executive editor of the Economic Daily, said: "We cannot always blame young people for being addicted to the Internet and neglecting their studies. It is because we have not created a good Internet environment for them." [3] Online media should integrate and filter harmful content information and add content that is conducive to the healthy growth of teenagers. Build a number of excellent high-quality professional websites suitable for young people's leisure, entertainment, and learning, and make them the main body of network civilization construction. Compared with network legislation and moral self-discipline, technical control is the most objective and quick means, so relevant government departments should vigorously strengthen network technology research.
(2) Strengthen the legal supervision of public opinion
The mass media should give full play to the supervision function of social public opinion and strengthen the supervision of network operators so that they can pay more attention to social benefits while considering economic benefits. . To truly curb online moral anomie and cybercrime, we must rely on strong laws and regulations. In view of the fact that the current law lags behind the rapid process of networkization and is difficult to adapt to the actual needs of regulating online information and combating cybercriminal activities, our country should supplement and improve relevant legal content as soon as possible to restrict the illegal behavior of operators and create a basis for the development of network culture. Good environment.
(3) Strengthen online moral education
As the main target of non-mainstream culture on the Internet, the "post-90s" are in a critical period of forming their world view, outlook on life, and values. They are taking shape, and although they have a strong ability to accept new things, their discernment is obviously lacking. Therefore, it is necessary for young people to recognize the virtuality of the online world, so that they can have certain Internet ethics concepts, be able to use online media ethically, resist the erosion of vulgar culture and foreign culture, and enhance their ability to consciously resist all kinds of unhealthy information. At the same time, we must also use online media to strengthen the construction and innovation of socialist spiritual civilization, strengthen the construction of socialist citizen morality, persist in carrying out patriotism, socialism, and collectivism education, and fundamentally guide young people to establish a correct world outlook, outlook on life, and values. .