The outbreak of the novel corona virus pneumonia (NCP) has disrupted the lives and work of nearly every Chinese person. However, a new trend has been on the rise: many have turned themselves into livestreaming users or followers.
According to Questmobile, a professional big data intelligence services provider in China, the audience for Douyin, Kuaishou and other livestreaming platforms surged to 574 million during the Spring Festival holiday, up 35 percent from 2019.
Confined at home, away from their friends and loved ones, people turn to livestreaming to reach out to the world. For them livestreaming can help them share their lives and interest with a global audience, which will give them the sense of being "in the moment". Even as viewers, they can also engage immediately with livestreamers by commenting and making suggestions.
"When I comment on the livestreaming videos, I'm not simply an audience member, but also an active part of the program. That gives me a sense of engagement," an Internet user named Wang Hao told People's Daily.
Livestreaming is not only for fun, but also a new tool for many businesses. Affected by the pandemic, many businesses had to stop their sales in physical stores. To meet their business goals and survive during these trying times, many chose to livestream to revive their businesses.
Joyoung, a leading maker of small kitchen appliances, is a good example. The company not only added a number of broadcasts each day to advertise their products, but also shared the menus that were beneficial to health. "The responses to our livestreaming shows have been well beyond expectations," Kang Li, who oversees the company's livestreaming unit, told China daily. "It's a natural opportunity to truly bond with our followers."
Like it or not, livestreaming is likely to go mainstream in China for both entertainment and business.
