Research on the Mechanism of Short-videos in Constructing Young People’s Rural Memories

As an emerging digital medium, short videos boast a user base of nearly 1.1 billion, accounting for 95.5% of internet users. This study focuses on youth who have migrated from rural areas to cities for higher education. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews and textual analysis, it reveals that short videos significantly influence the construction of rural memory among youth through three key mechanisms: symbolic representation, identity formation, and group solidarity. The rural symbolic elements in short videos trigger memories and emotional resonance with rural culture among youth, while the comment sections serve as important spaces for expressing rural sentiments. Short videos provide a new avenue for youth to reflect on their rural roots and seek cultural origins, thereby promoting the inheritance and development of rural culture. In the future, the role of short videos in constructing rural memory among youth is expected to become even more prominent.