China’s video and e-commerce platforms say they’re putting rural content creators on the path to fame and fortune, but questions persist about whether their poverty-busting initiatives can actually make a difference.
Can Livestreaming Lift China Out of Poverty by 2020? — Sixth Tone RSS
In Spring 2019 I watched a program on PBS about the live streaming phenomenon in China. Very similar to the voting based talent shows broadcast first in Europe and now in the U.S. But done completely over the internet in China using live streaming. People vote for their favorite “host” by awarding them virtual currency and raising their status in comparison to competing “idols”. I’ve never heard until today, that part of the reasoning, emphasis of this phenomenon is to give “opportunity” to rural citizens and provide a pathway out of poverty. But as the article points out, while the population of China is large and has a large number of participants on the Internet, there’s over 500+ million people who are not. And that’s saying that this less of a pathway for those 500+ million people who are not online. It is interesting to watch how the government and the citizens of China evolve their own culture and social systems surrounding the Internet.
Carpet Bomberz Inc. 