China Social Science Review

No.3, 2023

Interactive Ritual and Invisible Manipulation in Digital Live Streaming Platforms: Taking Live Streaming E-Commerce Platform A as an Example

(Abstract)

Gong Weigang

Digital live streaming e-commerce has formed a new consumption pattern with the participation of sellers and consumers, which not only creates huge sales, but also brings traffic polarization on platforms. Data analysis on the e-commerce Platform A shows that in the e-commerce live broadcast room, the live streamers enable interactions by shaping symbols of beauty, health, rich and justice. Live streamers’ center position is constantly enhanced through the interactive process with circular feedback, and the fanatical consumers also fall into the invisible manipulation of live streamers and pay for it after gaining emotional energy. The traffic and orders in the live streaming rooms show a polarized trend. This analysis reveals the centralization and polarization effects on the live streaming e-commerce platforms, presenting the interactive ritual process and results that are different from the Collins’ interaction ritual chains.