Old web in a new bottle: Thai digital natives’ cyberspace experience in China

With its distinct local platforms/applications and stringent regulatory environment, China presents unique challenges for foreign expatriates, including international/exchange students. This study employs a mixed-method approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data, to explore how Thai digital natives, represented by college exchange students, engage with China's cyberspace during a one-semester exchange program. The findings reveal that most participants already had high trust in Chinese digital systems before departure. Upon arrival, the majority adapted seamlessly, expressing minimal concerns about data security. However, some participants, aware of potential surveillance by Chinese authorities, engaged in self-censorship to avoid possible issues. Overall, whether in their general trust or their conformist behaviors within Chinese cyberspace, the participants' practices reflect the influence of authoritarian culture and governance in their upbringings. The study introduces the concept of “cyberspace habitus” in trans-cyberspace individuals, highlighting the continuity between experiences in both home and host countries and the transition from real-world cultural norms to the digital environment.