YouTube and TikTok as Platforms for Learning about Others: The Case of Non-Chinese Travel Videos in Shanghai Disneyland

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Due to existing Disney fandom and the increased popularity of online travel documentation, there is an opportunity to study brand internationalization, online video culture, and fandom. There are questions of whether video based social media allows for more humane representations of cultural others and to what extent the topic of content shapes representation. Methodology In this study, an inductive qualitative method is applied to top YouTube travel videos and TikToks to analyze how non-Chinese visitors to Shanghai Disneyland represent their experience and mediate cultural difference. Findings Videos often exhibit the technologically advanced attractions of the park, inspiring awe and envy in comments. A minority of videos discuss the behavior of Chinese guests and mark them as non-normative and different from expected Disney guest behavior. However, there are differences in representation on YouTube and TikTok from sub-genres, comments, gazes, and closeness to brand. Practical implications Brands entering the Chinese market must also be aware of how their accommodations appear to loyal non-Chinese online fandoms. This study shows how reoccurring tropes of travel writing influence online travel media, which also shapes perceptions of China, and is reinforced by platform incentives for controversy and sampling diverse cultures. Social implications Technological awe and critiques of guest behavior are structured by Disney fan culture, which includes a possessive protectiveness over the brand due to its close association with identity. These elements play out slightly differently on the platforms of YouTube and TikTok. Top YouTube videos tend to feature outward-focusing gazes, whether they are disembodied ride-throughs or cultural “education.” Top TikToks turn the gaze inward and focus on experience. Value This study contrasts use of two major platforms, YouTube and TikTok, to examine mediation of Shanghai Disneyland. Studies contrasting platform use of the same topic are rare, as is the area of focus. This study shows the usefulness of comparing platforms on the same topic.