Beyond age marginalization: Understanding the success of older influencers on Douyin

Abstract

Older content creators gain popularity on Douyin and become a significant part of the platform economy. However, much existing research concentrates on young, beauty content creators with limited attention paid to older content creators. Drawing on the theoretical framework of digital labour and ageing studies, this article examines the reasons why and how older adults become influencers on Douyin, how these creators gain a follower base on such a youth-led platform as a marginalized group, and how they navigate precarity and challenges to achieve visibility on Douyin. Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation with older Chinese Wanghong creators, we identify four key motivations driving their participation in short-video production: personal fulfilment and expression, social engagement and community contribution, economic empowerment, and strategic account development. We argue that these late-life influencers strategically negotiate platform labour for both self-realization and social value, challenging stereotypes of older adults as digitally disengaged. The findings reveal that digital platforms enable ‘active ageing’ through cultural production while simultaneously introducing new forms of precarity and algorithmic work. By foregrounding older Wanghong’s experiences in China’s platform economy, the paper extends theories of digital labour to a new demographic, showing how cultural values and generational context inflect the influencer phenomenon. This study contributes to ongoing debates surrounding the digital economy, self-representation, and ageing by illuminating specific mechanisms through which older Wanghong creators strategically blend entrepreneurial aspirations with communal goals in their online engagements. We conclude with implications for platform inclusivity and a call to recognize the diverse actors shaping influencer culture in the global digital era.