34-year-old Taiwanese internet celebrity Pei Yun Chung has repeatedly dined and dashed at high-end restaurants in New York, ultimately being arrested by the police and is now detained at Rikers Island prison (Source: World Journal). Rikers Island, located in the East River of New York City, between Manhattan and Queens, is one of the largest detention centers in New York City, usually responsible for holding prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing. Rikers Island has long been known for its harsh and violent environment. Due to the large prison population and outdated facilities, prisoners are forced to be confined in overcrowded cells, which are not only small in space and have poor sanitary conditions, but also frequently experience problems like prison violence. The glamorous internet celebrities appearing on Instagram are confined in such extremely poor conditions, highlighting the peculiar 'death of beauty' stories over the years, where those chasing online traffic and beauty enhancements on social media remain oblivious to the realities of daily life.
This incident has sparked social attention, primarily because it exposes a serious problem within the current culture of social platforms, where some influencers or so-called internet celebrities leverage their social media influence to demand businesses provide services for 'free.' Zhong Peiyun's actions are not just a simple case of personal crime; they also reflect a misunderstanding among some within influencer culture regarding 'free' or 'privilege.' Behind this cultural phenomenon, we can also see the 'dead beauty' culture propagated by platforms like Xiaohongshu, which presents a glamorous facade on social media every day, blindly pursuing cosmetic procedures and fashion, leading to materialistic vanity and potential issues like online shopping fraud and mental health problems among teenagers.
Zhong Peiyun's 'dining and dashing' incident also reveals another problem faced by many restaurants, where numerous influencer customers demand free meals in exchange for exposure on social media. This practice has formed a collective mindset: as long as one has enough followers or attention, they can receive rewards in real life. Although many businesses have started to identify and prevent such 'fraudulent behavior,' this cultural trend is widely spreading among certain young demographics.
The root cause of this phenomenon is often related to the operational model of social platforms. On these platforms, many influencers attract a large number of fans and businesses through meticulously designed content, thereby forming a virtual ecosystem of influence. In this ecosystem, the number of followers signifies attention and traffic, and it may also become a bargaining chip for 'free access to resources.' Whether it is high-end restaurants or brand businesses, many commercial entities find themselves at a loss when confronted with such demands. Behind this culture is the collective atmosphere created by 'Xiaohongshu,' which promotes a community of dead beauty, not only glorifying external beauty and traffic but also transmitting a distorted value system of appearance anxiety, leading the young generation to believe that as long as they gain enough attention on social platforms, they can enjoy improper privileges in reality. As a social platform centered on lifestyle and consumer sharing, Xiaohongshu is undoubtedly one of the breeding grounds for this 'dead beauty' culture, exacerbating wastefulness on social platforms and challenging overall societal ethics and moral standards.
The spread of dead beauty culture
On platforms like Xiaohongshu, many influencers and internet celebrities pursue exposure and influence, which is not necessarily tied to the quality of the products or services. The characteristics of such platforms encourage some internet celebrities to focus not merely on sharing their lives but to view their social media influence as a tool for obtaining real benefits. This mentality is reflected not only in 'dining and dashing' behaviors but also extends to other similar actions like 'free trials' and 'special treatments.' In other words, many influencers and internet celebrities have unrealistic notions of their own influence, believing that businesses should provide free products or services in exchange for exposure.
Worse still, young people may mistakenly believe that having a large following automatically entitles them to privileges and freebies, whether from restaurants, hotels, or other brands. Businesses often find themselves helpless when faced with such demands. Moreover, some influencers and internet celebrities, during collaborations or exchanges, tend to care only about their own interests, neglecting the contributions and costs incurred by their partners. Such behavior places businesses in a dilemma when confronted with numerous unreasonable requests. They hesitate to refuse completely, as such refusals might lead to negative exposure; at the same time, businesses cannot sustain this inequitable exchange in the long run, which could ultimately harm their brand image and economic interests.
The influence and risks of Xiaohongshu
Since its establishment, Xiaohongshu has emphasized the principles of 'authentic sharing' and 'lifestyle,' and due to its strong user engagement and sophisticated content marketing model, it has become a vital platform for many brands' marketing. However, because Xiaohongshu emphasizes lifestyle and consumption recommendations, some users misunderstand their roles on the platform. Many influencers see themselves as 'taste influencers,' constantly linking their 'taste' with actual commercial exchanges. For these internet celebrities, having influence does not equate to providing tangible returns to businesses; instead, businesses are viewed as 'exploitable resources,' while the number of followers becomes a bargaining chip.
This culture has profoundly affected the young generation in Taiwan, making it difficult for many consumers and businesses to discern what constitutes genuine value exchange, and they are more likely to fall victim to meticulously designed online shopping scams. The 'sharing' and 'recommendation' systems promoted by Xiaohongshu can sometimes be exploited as a channel for obtaining 'free resources.' This erroneous value system not only exacerbates a 'comparison mentality' but also leads many influencers to have an inflated sense of self-worth in the virtual world, making it difficult for them to distinguish reality.
Taiwan's ban on Xiaohongshu and social reflection
In this context, Taiwan has decided to ban Xiaohongshu. Although the ban has been interpreted by some as politically motivated, primarily aimed at preventing online fraud, it cannot be ignored that the increasingly prevalent 'dead beauty culture' on the platform is indeed a significant societal issue. Xiaohongshu has become a breeding ground for this 'dead beauty' culture, prompting influencers to unabashedly promote irresponsible consumer behavior on the platform, misleading young people's perceptions of the real world. Whether or not this phenomenon is related to politics or fraud, it has insidiously harmed social ethics, leading more and more individuals to form distorted views of life and values.
Taiwan's ban should not only be viewed as a sanction against Xiaohongshu; on a deeper level, it should prompt us to re-examine the role of current social platforms, especially their profound influence on shaping values, driving consumption patterns, and impacting the youth. In this process, it is essential to study the influence of social media more deeply and understand the long-term societal impacts it has on young people.
Social platforms like Xiaohongshu, while playing an important role in promoting consumerism and brand marketing among the youth, have also fueled the spread of 'dead beauty' culture. Many influencers and internet celebrities see the platform as a means to access 'free resources,' demanding discounts or free products from businesses in exchange for exposure on social media. This behavior is not only unethical but also distorts young people's understanding of 'value exchange.' The ban imposed by Taiwanese authorities, whether due to political reasons, fraud prevention, or cultural reflection, serves as a wake-up call regarding current influencer culture, reminding influencers and internet celebrities that they should bear greater social responsibility on social platforms, rather than merely seeking exposure and traffic.
More importantly, this 'dead beauty' culture has profoundly influenced the lifestyles and values of some young people in Taiwan. When I observe young people dressed in slippers and with hair rollers, leisurely shopping and dining in Starbucks, the subway, and even department stores and bookstores in Taipei, it makes one wonder: Why is Taiwan so unaware of the infiltration of this 'Chinese aesthetic taste of life'? While the whole world is becoming alert to the impact of social media on the lives and mental health of young people, why are there still people in Taiwan who believe that these issues are trivial and unimportant?
Taking Zhong Peiyun's 'dining and dashing' incident as an example, this Taiwanese influencer was arrested for repeatedly eating and dashing at high-end restaurants in New York, and the development of the incident raises questions about her mental state, with the judge even requesting a mental health evaluation. This case leads us to ask: Does Taiwan genuinely care about the mental health of its youth? What role does social media play in this? What effective solutions should Taiwan propose?
Currently, young people are faced with a virtual world full of temptations, where many values and lifestyles are completely detached from reality. The 'dead beauty culture' conveyed by platforms like Xiaohongshu is a concentrated display of such false values. Young people are guided to pursue superficial perfection in appearance and lifestyle, while ignoring the efforts, responsibilities, and integrity required in reality. This not only shapes unrealistic standards of living but also potentially has profound negative impacts on young people's mental health and social behavior patterns.
Taiwan's ban may be a necessary reaction, but it also raises deeper questions about how to help young people understand the gap between the real world and the virtual world in this digital age, and how to help them build correct values and concepts. This is the core issue that should be focused on. In this process, society, the government, educational institutions, and the media should work together to provide young people with accurate guidance, helping them maintain their physical and mental health in the tempting online world.
This article discusses the incident of Taiwanese internet celebrities frequently dining and dashing in New York, reflecting on the 'dead beauty' phenomenon on Xiaohongshu, first reported by Lian News ABMedia.