Abstract

Blog, emerging at the age of the Internet in the 20th century, has been the first choice of most netizens for personal information management and social network, ever since it entered China in 2004. In recent years, however, micro blog, within 140 words, has soon replaced traditional blog to become the new favorite of the mass. A subtle change as such implies deep issues about social network, virtual platform business, media revolution, etc which deserve contemplation and investigation.

Considering the studies for blogs in China and Western countries have still remained in technical and media influences of each blog, this thesis chooses the angle of Chinese netizens’ different usages between the two blogs, from three aspects: communication theories, social and cultural development and social psychology, to probe, by means of theoretical study, case study and data comparison, the reasons why micro blog has rapidly sprung up. This will create active instructions towards thoroughly understanding the development and tendencies of Chinese social network, the preference of Chinese netizens in choosing the content and form of a medium, and tactics used by various industries for marketing and public relations.

The thesis consists of four parts: the first part is a brief introduction of the definition, characteristics, initiation and development of blogs, and the different usages of the two blogs in China, which further points to the aims and significance of the thesis. The second part is a general literature review, which indicates the focus and achievements of Chinese and Western scholars in studying blog issue. The third part analyzes the success of micro blog from three aspects. The last chapter comes to a conclusion and gives suggestions to the development of Chinese social network. 

According to the analysis above, this thesis concludes that there are both theoretical and practical reasons to support the success of micro blog over traditional blog in China, which has significantly instructions toward Chinese new media.

Key words: blog social network, communication theory, social and cultural
development, social psychology