Constructing Identity through Code-Switching in Social Media Contexts

This study focuses on Chinese social media platforms (Weibo and Douyin), adopting a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative research to explore patterns of code-switching in online language and its role in identity negotiation among internet users.Quantitative analysis of 208 valid questionnaires and subsequent qualitative discourse analysis reveal that 83% of users unconsciously engage in Chinese-English code-switching, primarily demonstrating intra-sentential switching patterns where English words embed as salient "figures" against the Chinese "ground."Results of the Chi-square test indicate significant correlations between code-switching frequency, types, and users' identity dimensions (p<0.05).Data identified three identity functions: cultural belonging, in-group signaling, and persona curation.The study confirms that code-switching in digital contexts has transcended the level of linguistic efficiency to become an important social infrastructure for internet users to construct their identities.