Voice without Representation: Worker Voice in China’s Networked Public Sphere
研究中国科技工人如何利用社交媒体反抗加班文化，发现虽然网络发声提高了公众意识和媒体报道，但因缺乏组织与制度力量，未能带来实质性的工作条件改善。
Does worker voice on social media empower individuals to advocate for better working conditions when traditional voice mechanisms are absent? This study examined Chinese tech workers’ use of social media to resist overwork culture. The analysis of social media data, interviews, and news published by state-affiliated outlets shows worker voice on social media raised public awareness of overtime issues and increased state-run media coverage of overtime issues, culminating in a landmark ruling in China’s Supreme People’s Court against exploitative practices. However, online debates on the legitimacy of these overtime practices failed to build a lasting consensus in support of workers. Inconsistent enforcement of labor laws and administrative directives further weakened the protection of tech workers. Ultimately, while social media amplified worker voice, it failed to drive meaningful workplace improvements in a context in which workers lacked associational and institutional power.