Anti-Consumerism Action Practices and Media Representation of Chinese Netizens: A Netnographic Study of the Douban “No Buy” Group

Abstract

This study examines the manifestation and evolution of anti-consumerism practices among Chinese netizens through a netnographic investigation of Douban's “No Buy | anti-consumerism” group. In the context of the rapid growth of digital consumption, the “weed-pulling” phenomenon has emerged as a distinctive form of anti-consumerist behavior that is increasingly prevalent on Chinese social media platforms. The findings reveal three key dimensions of Chinese digital anti-consumerism: identity construction through consumption critique and reflexivity, strategic resistance through tactical knowledge sharing and value reconfiguration, and platform-specific manifestations shaped by digital affordances and temporal patterns. Unlike the politically oriented identities documented in Western contexts, Chinese digital anti-consumerism emphasizes personal well-being, financial prudence, and esthetic discernment. These findings extend existing anti-consumption theories by demonstrating how resistance practices are culturally inflected rather than universal, and they deepen our understanding of digital communities as sites of alternative value construction. This research has practical implications for platform governance, marketing approaches, and sustainable consumption policy development.