From Perception to Practice: How Chinese University Student Short-form Video Influencers’ Perceptions of MCNs Shape Their digital labor and Career Trajectories

Abstract

Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) have emerged as powerful yet ambivalent intermediaries in the platform economy, acting as both 'enablers' and 'disciplinarians' for creators. This tension is particularly acute for university student influencers, who navigate the precarious intersection of digital labor and educational pressures. While existing literature examines MCNs' structural power, it remains unclear how creators' subjective perceptions of MCNs mediate this power. This article argues that perception is not a passive outcome but an active mediating mechanism that translates institutional forces into concrete labor practices. Based on 15 in-depth interviews and two focus groups (N=25) with Chinese university student influencers, the study identifies three dominant perceptual frameworks: the MCN as (1) an 'Enabling Partner,' leading to the internalization of discipline; (2) a 'Controlling Boss,' fostering alienation and resistance; and (3) a 'Short-Term Springboard,' enabling strategic leveraging of resources. We demonstrate how these divergent perceptions systematically shape digital labor practices (alignment vs. resistance vs. risk-hedging) and subsequent career trajectories (professionalization vs. exit vs. entrepreneurship). The paper's primary contribution is the development of a 'Perceived Empowerment-Discipline' model, advancing digital labor theory by specifying the process through which subjective perception shapes agency within platformed infrastructures.