Research on the Survival Condition of Workers in Platform Digital Economy-Take the Delivery Rider and the Live-streaming Sales Practitioner as an Example

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jmsd.202612223

Author(s)

Lantiancheng Zhang, Ran Tao

Affiliation(s)

Xinhang Experimental Foreign Language School, Jinan, Shandong, China

Abstract

The rise of platform-based digital economy has reshaped traditional employment patterns, with food delivery riders and live-streaming e-commerce practitioners emerging as typical representatives of platform labor groups. Their living conditions reflect the challenges in labor governance within platform economy development. This study focuses on two groups in Jinan City, employing literature review, semi-structured interviews, questionnaire surveys, and content analysis to compare their living conditions across four dimensions: labor processes, control mechanisms, rights protection, and survival strategies. Findings reveal that both groups face common issues such as ambiguous labor relations, inadequate rights protection, and income instability. However, due to differences in labor nature, food delivery riders are subject to rigid algorithmic control in logistics operations, exhibiting high-intensity and high-risk characteristics, while live-streaming e-commerce practitioners are influenced by flexible traffic algorithms, demonstrating significant emotional consumption and strong occupational uncertainty. Based on these findings, the study proposes categorized governance approaches from four perspectives: government, platforms, industries, and workers, providing references for improving the rights protection system for platform laborers.

Keywords

Platform Economy; Food Delivery Riders; Live-Streaming Sales; Algorithmic Control; Emotional Labor

References

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