The Chinese, Social Media and Personas

The Rise of China

It's becoming apparent the modern world is structured to promote globalization. Most events and its accompanying interconnections is giving room to new ways of doing things. There came China and the Chinese. The Chinese's main weapons fueling their rise from dilapidation, has been highly influenced by two components: population and governance. The Chinese governments and governance structures over the years have transitioned from almost a negligible add-on in world politics to a force and voice heeded. This began with an archetypal audacity to be named among the upper echelons of nations fueled by an intentional mission of successive governments till Xi Jinping. Dynasties like the Shang, Qin, Ming and Qing has swept through China and the world. With the Qing dynasty ensuring a transition to Republic of China by 1912. The Chinese were so mundane prior to their republic status that even professions were inherited. Doctors, brewers and roles like bannerman were passed on from parents to their children! Genes, training? The pause. Segregation and role play was something that wasn't disregarded, however, there was some faith in the existing dynasty that gave hope to the commoner on a possibility to rise through the ranks. Prior to the Chinese transition to the Republic of China, invasion by first world countries presented new hurdles to cross. Initially, to trade and then later to rule. This is mainly due to the fact that no trading with bias can occur without some form of rulership. If you want to dominate a bias trade: be the ruler! However, the defeat of the British Empire in the First Opium War led to the ceding of Hong Kong to Great Britain and almost parting of mainland China to the Chinese people.
The Peoples Republic of China began in 1946 and charted a path for itself after several invasions by Japanese forces. Although the country was prior prone to civil wars, religious wars and takeovers, the Japanese invasion was a force to reckon with. Several other wars were fought mainly between the nationalist and communist parties. Finally in 1949, the Peoples Republic of China was declared. A turning point for its people. The Chinese throughout history has made a mark for themselves especially in the area of learning to improve to be better for themselves and others. After proclamation of The Peoples Republic of China, the nation has experienced a skyrocketing structural and economic shift mainly fueled by industry and technology.

Actions and Social media

As fun as social media has been from the onset, the originators of social media and social networking did not envisage it as will be in the current. From Myspace, Hi5, Yahoo Chatroom to Facebook, social media has seen several transitions. Different founders have presented new ways people can view social media. What has stood tall with social media is, it always tries to connect people and make their lives more bearable, radiating hope. Existing social media and social media channels are introducing new ways to the traditional definition of social media that has projected fun across the board. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest , Reddit and GitHub are gradually redefining how social media is viewed. Not forgetting Twitter/X a social media cum micro blogging site for sending out short messages fueled by a need to be part of a construct; which seems laudable. Others like Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp and Imo are there to offer a means to connect mostly known relations, friends and acquaintances. Currently, the trending social media channel TikTok by Bytedance a carbon iteration of Snapchat fused with YouTube is the go to for most GenZs and Millennials. TikTok was first introduced in 2017 mainly as a video sharing site for entertainment. It presented a medium to share content, gather a following and then proceed thereafter to other plausible paths. TikTok became accepted because of China and the Chinese's people adoption of the social network site. Its business model can be paralleled with WeChat by Tencent which now has surpassed the Social media site tag to become an ecosystem that includes ecommerce, a payment system, a money transfer medium and even a gaming site. If the Chinese and their adoption of Social Networks is anything to go by, then we can say they are a people rising from rigidity to flexibility but moving at a pace of a wise tortoise. Currently, TikTok has transitioned to a cash cow for its influencers and celebrities. It has become a revenue generating medium to users. Thus creating a form of hope for the commoner and an inherent faith for possibility of rising through the ranks buttressing some traditions mentioned earlier. WeChat, a top 6 social media site has now been almost fused to the Chinese social systems, Making room for citizens to blend with ease under sometimes strict regulatory oversight from the communist party.

But there seem to be a different trajectory at the far left or should I say the Americas where Meta's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are redefining how interaction and networking can be done. An American Time Use Survey, has stated that physical socialization in America has decreased by 30% among people between the ages of 15 and 24. In the general sense physical socialization has decreased by 70%. It also stated that people with a single close friend has dropped from 3% to 12%. Mark Zukerberg founder of Facebook and CEO Meta stated in an interview, there is an increased demand to socialize than what people are able to do given the current construct. That is to say, how society is structured at current gives room for people to seek other ways to socialise. In other words the current state of society prevents extensive socialization, giving room for people to decipher other means to socialise. On social media, especially at current, people are interacting with creators or persons who they do not know physically or should I say know on a personal term: initially it was with those they knew. The big question is are people being led? Or they are like a man once said playing along? Elaborating further, I would say the content being churned either entertains, educates or calls for some responds from users. Hinge is a social media or should I say a dating site in the USA. Research conducted by the company discovered after connection with potential matches on the site, people or users still wanted to explore with other matches than actually meeting with the potential matches. It is gradually being established that there are two sides to the socialization/social networking construct. Either current social networks have instituted algorithms they know or feel would be the ultimate giving the existing setup or there is a confidence gap waiting to be filled. The latter: easily solvable. The former, however requires a constant reassurance of risk takers, their risk was worth it.

Our personas vrs. our personality

Your personality ideally is what determines how you will react to issues most certainly. Your persona however, refers to your role in any situation. Most definitely, conflicting your role and your personality is an act against self. It is very draining to not know the subtle nuances between the two. The role of an individual in any situation at any point in time comes about through three main paths: inherently, choice and bestowment. Our inherent roles are the roles that we pick up naturally by virtue of our being part of a society. These roles are formed as a result of our membership within communities. Parents automatically assume this role just when they put to birth or otherwise. They become fathers and mothers. Religious leaders also become entangled with this role upon ascension. These inherent roles seem the most difficult to assume, but it's almost always avoidable. Roles assumed by choice are roles that you assume based on a personal decision to. These roles are mainly roles we volunteer for or are made to carry out by virtue of our presence. For example a man may be privy to a popular market in your locality, but by virtue of your presence or nearness to him at a point in time, he can decide to just ask for the location from you just to either start a convo or 'waste' your time'. For instance , my volunteering to be a teacher and student mentor for students of Akyim Asafo SHS serves as a valid example. These roles we volunteer for are mainly without compulsion but there is this aura around them that leaves us with no option than to assume them and ensure we do our best ceteris paribus. Finally, there are roles that are bestowed: The Second, these roles that are bestowed or an individual assumes mainly because a person saw them fit to carry out the role(s). Some are bestowed based on a divine arrangement. Others come about through appointment and finally by virtue of their qualification. These roles are very 'friendly' in the sense that an individual can easily turn them down, resign or step down if need be. That is to say, when a role is bestowed we have the opportunity to 'excel'' to make a mark for ourselves. Reluctance presupposes negligence or nonchalance. When such a role is presented there is the need to harness all available resources and skills to ensure we are able to: for going back to preschool 'brighten the corner where you are'.
Our personality is what produces initial reactions. Myer & Briggs 16 personalities and the much popularised temperaments of Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic and Phlegmatic are a good way to start. Before we can attain heights of repute, our mindfulness of these different personalities presents a new way to begin and see things. It creates a new way to view ourselves in our persona. The conflicting nature of these two sides to a coin is what we need to become conscious of. Bearing this in mind will be beneficial to you in your roles and to others you serve or guide thereafter.

In conclusion, I would say the next time you get an encounter with social media, Join 'Kromanin': it's Global, being mindful of the Chinese and what they have achieved with it.

Aside: The movie is Switched!