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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Digital Public Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1414837

Tendencies and Characteristics of Public Fitness Behavior in the Digital Era: An Internet Ethnography Study Based on the K Community in China

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou, China
  • 2 South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    In the era of digital intelligence, the integration of media technologies into fitness activities has led to a new and distinct landscape of public fitness. This study utilizes Internet ethnography as a qualitative research methodology. The objective is to analyze the patterns and attributes of widespread fitness practices in China throughout the digital era by monitoring the daily activities of digital fitness participants in the K-community. The study demonstrates that as media technology and network culture progress, the group engaged in digital fitness increasingly displays fragmentation, digitization, entertainment, ritualization, and socialization in their quest for varied and intricate exercise experiences. The evolution and alteration of fitness behavior not only mirrors the functioning principles of modern media technology, but also replicates the essence of popular culture in the digital era. This study investigates the influence of media technology on the fitness industry during the digital age. Employing Internet ethnography, it analyzes the daily routinespractices of for individualsdigital fitness users residing in the K community. The results demonstrate an increasing fragmentation, digitalization, entertainment, ritualisationformalization, and socialization among those engaged in digital fitness. The transformation of physical activities and fitness behavior aligns with the operational mechanisms of media technology and the prevailing culture of the digital era. The research underscores the distinctive attributes of this digital era.

    Keywords: :Public, Physical activity behavior, Fitness Behaviors, Internet ethnography, Digital Technology Digital Era, Physical activities, qualitative research, Public Health

    Received: 09 Apr 2024; Accepted: 09 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 JIA and YE. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Songdong YE, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.