earticle

영어

Through Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the growth of music streaming platforms has revolutionized music consumption. “Digital Shadow Work” (DSW) refers to unpaid labor in digital spaces, with some prior research on its aspects. However, a comprehensive understanding is hindered by limitations in existing studies such as a lack of universality and dynamic exploration. To address these gaps and enable a comprehensive investigation into the role of DSW within highly versatile digital applications such as digital streaming platforms, this study employs a grounded theory methodology, a qualitative approach well-suited for exploring the intricacies of DSW among users of Chinese music streaming applications over a two-month period, involving longitudinal interviews with nine participants. The study findings elucidate the dynamic nature of DSW perceptions, which fluctuate across different stages of use and change in intensity over time. This study uncovers mixed attitudes towards DSW tasks, and observes a waning enthusiasm for social features over time, prompting some users to consider switching platforms. This study highlights the importance of thoughtful and user-centric feature development to enhance user satisfaction and the understanding of DSW, providing practical design and enhancement implications for music streaming applications.