Why Grassroots Stars Shine: Examining Social Media Audiences' Motives And Involvement

Shaojing Sun, Fudan University; Mihye Seo, University at Albany, State University of New York; Ying Wang, Youngstown State University Shaojing Sun, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Department of Communication at Fudan University. His research areas and interest cover new media, media effects and health communication in China. His research has been published in various international journals including communication research, journal of broadcasting & electronic media, journal of experimental education, communication methods & measures, among others. -- Ten years ago, when China's Internet population totaled 22.5 million and Facebook and Twitter had not even been conceived, a group of researchers came together to organize a conference to study the Internet in China. By all indications even then, it was clear that China would have a major impact on the global digital economy. Ten years on, that foresight has been vindicated.   China today has the largest Internet population of any country and it has made its presence felt in the Internet space. In all aspects of the Internet -- online gaming, micro blogging, search engines, ecommerce, content regulation, Internet governance, international domain names -- China is both changing and being changed by the Internet. The annual Chinese Internet Research Conference (CIRC) investigates these phenomena, asking probing questions into what, how, to what extent, and why these changes are taking and have taken place. This interdisciplinary conference brings together scholars, analysts, industry leaders, journalists and legal practitioners from around the world to examine the impact of the Internet on Chinese societies, its social, cultural, political and economic aspects, as well as how China is changing the Internet.   Hosted by the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism and the USC U.S.-China Institute, the 10th Annual Chinese Internet Research Conference -- CIRC10 -- will be held on May 21-22, 2012, in Los Angeles, the world's entertainment capital. CIRC10 will examine trends and themes as we explore the ways in which the Internet and other technologies interact with Chinese cultural and social life.