Contributor, Platypus, The CASTAC Blog
About Anna
Anna Zhang is an artist whose work focuses on imaging and reimagining our relationships with technology. Her interests lay in new media, speculative fiction, games, creative tools, and digital accessibility.
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Contributions to Platypus, The CASTAC Blog
View all of Anna's posts on Platypus, The CASTAC Blog.
Female Truck Drivers in China Navigate Gender Norms on Douyin
It’s dark outside: 4:34 AM. I am peering through a truck’s windshield, gazing at a seemingly endless stretch of highway. “Female truck driver Li Ping is live streaming,” reads the title above the Douyin video player. It’s accompanied by the option to follow Li Ping’s account. Li Ping and her sister converse with fans, their voices audible, but the camera remains directed out the window, capturing the drive and road ahead. “Have you all woken up from a night of sleep?” a voice asks. It belongs to Li Ping’s younger sister, whose weariness is evident in the countless yawns that follow. The chat springs to life as fans engage, their messages reflecting varied states of wakefulness: some have just risen, some couldn’t fall asleep, and others are truck drivers like Li Ping who have been awake and on the road. A robotic navigation voice reminds them to take a break. (read more...)