Resistance or Refined Conformity? How Chinese "Tea Art" Aesthetics Refine Gender Norms in Digital Feminism

Yikun Ma^1*Dan Li²

• ¹University of Nanking, Nanjing, China
• ²Shihezi University, Shihezi, China

Introduction: Due to the rise of digital platforms and changing gender expressions in China, traditional mechanisms of gender conformity have evolved rather than disappeared, prompting an examination of how digital technologies reshape gender power relations. This study examines how "tea art" aesthetics—a popular feminine style that combines innocence and sensuality—functions as a refined mechanism of gender conformity in Chinese digital culture. Methods: This study employs critical discourse analysis of 100 high-interaction "tea art" videos from Bilibili, China's leading video platform, collected between 2023 and 2024. Using qualitative content analysis, we examine the algorithmic mechanisms, discursive strategies, and cultural representations that construct contemporary Chinese digital femininity. Results: Through critical discourse analysis of "tea art" videos and user comments, this study identifies three refined mechanisms of digital gender conformity. Algorithmic visual standardization quantifies female attractiveness into measurable "innocent-yet-seductive indices," predominantly enforcing male gaze standards through meticulously prescribed expressions, postures, and makeup techniques. Pseudo-resistance discourse frequently employs empowerment rhetoric such as "slay men" or "girl boss energy," yet ultimately reinforces patriarchal value systems by packaging traditional performance as agential choice, thereby creating an illusion of resistance. Furthermore, emotional labor is systematically invisibilized as complex self-regulation is reframed into learnable technical skills, a process amplified by platform architectures such as real-time comment systems that mask the effort behind performed authenticity.The analysis reveals a three-fold refinement of gender conformity mechanisms in digital environments. First, algorithmic recommendations standardize female attractiveness into measurable "innocent-yet-seductive indices." Second, discursive practices like "male-slaying" rhetoric, while claiming female agency, actually reinforce male-centered value systems. Third, "pseudo-natural" makeup tutorials transform traditional invisible female labor into technical and professional skills. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that, unlike Western "BodyPositivity" movements that challenge established beauty standards, Chinese "tea art" culture refines rather than subverts traditional gender expectations. Digital technologies serve as amplifiers rather than disruptors of conventional gender power relations. This study contributes to understanding how traditional cultural values persist in the face of digital transformation, offering critical insights into digital gender politics in Global South contexts.