Citation:Le, A. T., & Le, V. T. (2025). Influencer Politics in Vietnam. In Asian Celebrity Cultures in the Digital Age (p. 70). Hong Kong University Press.
Abstract:The emergence of new media, as its detractors fear, constitutes the opening of a ‘modern Pandora’s box’(Kata 2009) within Vietnamese society. On the one hand, the political regime sees social media as a channel to interact with the public (Bui 2016) and develop its economy through e-business and e-commerce (Adam and Alhassan 2021). On the other hand, the regime has felt new insecurities emanating from the impact of a social media–based undermining of the heavily regulated media system established and supported by the state (Mach and Nash 2019). The state has tried to control the freedom made possible by erecting social media censorship, or self-censorship, and establishing a strict legal framework for digital content. Taking the hope provided by this so-called Pandora’s box, Vietnamese citizens have used digital platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok—the three main global social media platforms that are popular in Vietnam (Minh-Ngoc 2022)—to speak out for those who are voiceless and be an important part of contemporary civil society (Wells-Dang 2022). Like other authoritarian states, the internet in Vietnam has become a contested arena where the forces for democracy and authoritarianism complete, negotiate, and interact through digital media and communication. The emergence of internet fame in Vietnam has also led to a new era of influencer culture. As users can quickly interact and build relationships with others, this ‘demotic turn’(Turner 2006, 2016) has created an environment where anyone can become famous in a short time and gain large followers online.
