Luisa Tam

Blowing Water | How the Hong Kong identity is being warped by social media, as protests rage

Online pressure to please others and win plaudits is reshaping Hongkongers’ sense of who they are

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The identity of Hongkongers has been in a state of flux for a while, and is still evolving. Photo: Robert Ng

Luisa Tam

Published: 3:29pm, 29 Jul 2019Updated: 3:32pm, 29 Jul 2019

Whenever outsiders mention Hong Kong as a city of China, many Hongkongers tend to become defensive, partly because of fears of losing their Hong Kong identity.

The truth is Hong Kong will never lose its identity. Moreover, the city does not have just one identity, it has multiple identities so as to adapt to changing circumstances and adjust to challenges. That is why Hong Kong people are true survivors.

Since the change of sovereignty in 1997 when Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule, Asia’s world city has been adrift between its British colonial past and as an international Chinese city. Strangely, it is now on the cusp of “adulthood” being on the road to discovery, trying to find a way to become its own master.

There are countless qualities that make Hongkongers unique.

Protesters out in force for the June 16 march, many of them displaying the virtues of courage and resilience. Photo: Winson Wong

Some of the admirable characteristics include their respect for the rule of law; their courage to speak up against injustice and their loyalty to families and loved ones, just to name a few.