This study examines the micro drama industry in China—a sector of online television industry marked by vertically shot, minute-long episodes distributed on mobile platforms—and the paradox of traditional television professionals distancing themselves from micro-drama creation. The research asks why these experienced practitioners disassociate from their micro-drama professionals, what sociocultural implications underpin their sense of “shame,” and how they navigate opportunities amid internalized prejudices in an era defined by platformisation. Employing a multi-method qualitative design that integrates semi-structured interviews with 27 seasoned practitioners, a month-long ethnographic study of a leading production team, and secondary data analysis, the study reveals that the commercialized and formulaic production model—driven by algorithmic gatekeeping and data-driven metrics—intensifies creators’ ambivalence. Findings indicate that while micro dramas offer lucrative and efficient production opportunities, their standardized narratives and reliance on quantitative performance indicators undermine creative legitimacy and contribute to a persistent shame among content creators. This work contributes to digital labour and platform studies by elucidating how algorithmic frameworks and economic imperatives reshape professional identities and creative practices in online television, highlighting the tension between commercial success and artistic recognition in the evolving media landscape.

This study explores the rise of rural women vloggers in India as a new form of digital entrepreneurship, focusing on their use of Instagram to achieve economic independence and preserve cultural heritage. By blending their rural identities with everyday activities, these women transform traditional practices—such as cooking, farming, and crafting—into marketable content that resonates with global audiences. Drawing on theories of micro-celebrity (Abidin, 2016; Senft, 2008) and digital entrepreneurship (Nambisan, 2017), the study examines how rural women leverage platform affordances to build personal brands, attract followers, and monetize their content through brand collaborations and sponsorships. Using 20 semi-structured interviews with rural and semi-urban women vloggers, the research investigates their motivations, challenges, and the impact of vlogging on their identities, agency, and family dynamics. Findings reveal that these women are driven by financial aspirations, cultural pride, and the desire for visibility but face barriers such as digital access, literacy, and societal expectations. The study also highlights the role of rurality in shaping digital representation, drawing parallels with China’s mediated rurality (Li, 2020; Lin & de Kloet, 2019) and India’s unique digital rurality, which blends performative authenticity with economic opportunities. By focusing on rural women in India, the study addresses a critical gap in the literature, offering insights into how digital platforms like Instagram are reshaping rural identities, fostering economic empowerment, and challenging traditional gender norms. The findings have implications for policymakers and platform developers seeking to promote gender equality and economic inclusion in rural areas.

Sex education in the U.S. remains a contested issue, with no federal mandate and varying state policies, often restricting content related to LGBTQ+ and marginalized communities. People increasingly turn to social media platforms like TikTok for sexual education. However, platform moderation—shaped in part by laws like FOSTA-SESTA—imposes severe restrictions on sex education content, limiting its accessibility and undermining creators’ work. This study examines how sex education professionals navigate platform moderation on TikTok and Instagram. Through in-depth interviews with 15 sex education creators, we explore the challenges posed by content restrictions, particularly the use of “algospeak” to circumvent moderation. While strategies to bypass moderation, such as misspelling words, avoiding certain terms altogether, or using code words, can help creators circumvent moderation, they introduce new tensions such as further reinforcing stigma around sex and undermining their professional credibility. Creators report increased labor in justifying their content choices and frustration with platform priorities, which inconsistently moderate educational material while allowing harassment and hate speech to persist. Our findings highlight how ruptures in platform governance are experienced by creators and actively produce new fractures, reinforcing and reshaping the dynamics of knowledge and power online.