Problematizing Anthropomorphism in Douyin’s Pet Video Platform Ecosystem

Virtual pets are anthropomorphically created by content creators who construct digital personas for their animals by presenting content from the pets’ supposed viewpoints. Through qualitative thematic analysis of 30,900 user comments from viral pet videos, this research reveals emotional bond formation mechanisms and their commodification within surveillance capitalism structures. The findings uncover a fundamental paradox wherein viewers demonstrate emotional bonds with virtual pets while indicating awareness of commercial exploitation. User comments reveal complex negotiations between care and critical consciousness. However, understanding of animal welfare implications in the digital ecosystem remains limited, as sentiment analysis shows that 73.2% of 30,900 comments are positive. These findings extend anthropomorphism by showing how Douyin turns psychological processes into extractable value and viewers knowingly engage in potentially exploitative commercial relationships. The research offers key insights into ethical tensions surrounding animal welfare, privacy, and commercial exploitation within China’s platform-based pet economy.