This chapter explores how technological change has shaped generational experience in contemporary China. While technological transformations permeate all of society, their impact on different cohorts is uneven—shaped by timing, access, and social context. Unlike political upheavals, which often produce abrupt generational ruptures, the rapid succession of technological innovations tends to blur generational boundaries, giving rise to fluid and overlapping identities. Tracing China’s digital evolution—from early bulletin board systems (BBS) to the rise of social media, mobile internet, and generative AI—the chapter highlights how each technological wave redefined modes of communication, sociability, and imagination.

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The Loom of Technological Progress: How the Reach and Pace of Technological Change Shape Generational Experience

  • Wen Xie

摘要

This chapter explores how technological change has shaped generational experience in contemporary China. While technological transformations permeate all of society, their impact on different cohorts is uneven—shaped by timing, access, and social context. Unlike political upheavals, which often produce abrupt generational ruptures, the rapid succession of technological innovations tends to blur generational boundaries, giving rise to fluid and overlapping identities. Tracing China’s digital evolution—from early bulletin board systems (BBS) to the rise of social media, mobile internet, and generative AI—the chapter highlights how each technological wave redefined modes of communication, sociability, and imagination.