“Our advice is to break up”: Douban’s intimate public and the rise of girlfriend culture

Abstract

To date, insufficient attention has been given to the role of social media in navigating romantic relationships in China. This article analyzes the Douban Breakup Advice Group (豆瓣劝分小组), a popular digital platform, particularly among young women, for sharing failed love stories and seeking relationship guidance. Based on netnography and interviews, this study investigates how the group navigates the intricacies of romantic relationships and fosters distinct feminist sensibilities. The findings reveal that this group creates an intimate public, offering solace for love experiences in a therapeutic manner. It also functions as a feminist pedagogic space, promoting the reconstruction of gender relations based on egalitarian norms. These practices nurture a girlfriend culture where participants cultivate a commonality toward heterosexual romance within a feminist framework. This article contributes to the scholarship of mediated intimacy by examining the mutual influence of digital practices and popular feminism.