Digital geospatial construction on Chinese social media based on IP geolocation

Abstract

This study focuses on the emerging spatial media that are created by integrating Internet Protocol (IP) geolocation with social media in China. Using the concept of mediated spatiality, it analyzes how this new spatial media reshapes users' perception of space and reconstructs the norms of interaction on social media. The study takes Weibo, Zhihu, and Xiaohongshu as research sites, employing a combination of online field observation and textual analysis methods. The findings reveal that the intertwining of IP geolocation, physical, and claimed geographical information of posts complicates users' perception of digital geospatial space. The overlap and dislocation between IP geolocation and the claimed geographical information of posts are regarded as new standards for assessing and maintaining credibility. The consistency and conflict between IP geolocation and physical geographical information leads users to gradually form norms of civilized expression to mitigate regional conflicts and create new ways of perceiving, connecting, and expressing affects. This study contributes to understanding the construction of digital geospatial space surrounding emerging spatial media in a non-Western context.