Re-domesticating social media when it becomes disruptive: Evidence from China's "super app" WeChat

This article examines the emerging phenomenon of the non-use of WeChat Moments. Drawing upon semi-structured interviews with 21 users who used Moments for at least 6 months, then voluntarily discontinued their use of the feature, we discuss the complex dynamics of Moments use, exploring the implicit micro-behavioral process of social media practice. Countering the purported hyper-centrality of WeChat, we identified a periodic loop of "use, non-use, reuse" of Moments, suggesting that people suspend their use of Moments periodically to "re-domesticate" technology. Through the prism of the domestication approach, we argue that the re-domestication of Moments is a "reboot" of the whole process of domestication through four key stages: re-appropriation, re-objectification, re-incorporation, and re-conversion. Re-domestication is a process that allows people to take a retrospective look at their lives and transform Moments from a disruptive app feature into an instrumental apparatus conducive to their personal and professional well-being. By examining this process, we discuss how people use innovative ways to regain their autonomy and agency in their daily interactions with WeChat.