Xia,Yu；Huang,Kaiwei；Wei,Jingjing*
Vol. 2, Issue 3, Pages: 22-27(2025)
Doi：https://doi.org/10.62639/sspjiess03.20250203
ISSN：3006-0702
EISSN：3006-4260
27
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This study, grounded in theories of marriage deinstitutionalization and risk society, examines the interaction mechanism between shifts in marriage attitudes and fertility intentions among contemporary Chinese college students under the influence of social media. Findings reveal that students' marital and reproductive behaviors exhibit characteristics of "delayed timing" and "rationalization," with ideal marriage age postponed to 28-35 years and fertility desire declining to 1.36 children. Social media reconstructs perceptions of marriage and childbearing through "algorithm-driven recommendation and circle-based dissemination," employing critical narratives to deconstruct traditional values while fostering emotional communities via subcultural groups, thereby intensifying individualistic values and risk awareness. The individualization trend in marriage attitudes suppresses fertility decisions through "temporal preference-resource allocation" pathways, with gender role conflicts and economic pressures further reinforcing the "low marriage-low fertility" co-evolution. The study proposes a tri-dimensional model of "individualization-risk aversion-gender conflict," elucidating how social media couples attitudinal changes through agenda-setting, cultivation effects, and social identity mechanisms. Policy recommendations include algorithmic governance, institutional support, and cultural reconstruction to address structural contradictions in reproductive decision-making and promote high-quality demographic development.
KeywordChinese college students in the new era;Evolution of marriage attitudes;Fertility intentions;Social media;Individualization tendency;Gender conflict;Information cocoon;Low-fertility societye