A study of 'pain' culture from the perspective of youth subculture
青年亚文化视域下“痛”文化的研究

摘要

“痛”在当代中国青年群体中已完成语义重构，“痛”文化在融合了中国传统痛感伦理、日本御宅文化的视觉表达与全球化语境下，形成了一种外显的情感表达与身份标识。青年通过创造“痛青”、“emo痛”等语言形式，在社交媒体上构建起“痛感共同体”，以仪式化表达与戏谑化美学实现对现实压力的象征性疏解。“痛”文化既是青年应对社会结构性压力的情感策略，也是其进行身份建构与文化批判的实践方式。然而，“痛”文化在提供心理疏导与群体认同的同时，也面临被商业资本收编、批判性消解及加剧现实疏离的风险，呈现出积极赋能与消极困境并存的复杂面向。

Abstract

The concept of "pain" has undergone semantic reconstruction among contemporary Chinese youth. Integrating traditional Chinese ethics regarding pain, visual expressions from Japanese otaku culture, and a globalized context, "pain" culture has evolved into an explicit form of emotional expression and identity marker. By creating linguistic forms such as "pain youth" and "emo pain," young people construct a "community of shared pain" on social media platforms. They achieve symbolic alleviation of real-world pressures through ritualized expression and self-mocking aesthetics. This "pain" culture functions both as an emotional strategy for youth coping with socio-structural pressures and as a practical method for identity construction and cultural critique. However, while providing psychological solace and fostering group identity, it simultaneously faces risks such as commercial appropriation, the dilution of its critical essence, and the potential exacerbation of real-world social alienation. This presents a complex duality of positive empowerment and negative predicaments.