On WeChat, "visible for three days only" has quietly turned into a norm. What looks like a simple feature choice is a reflection of how people navigate the art of self-presentation.
Sociologist Erving Goffman once argued that social life resembles a stage, with a clear divide between the "front stage" and the "back stage".
On China's social media platform WeChat, the "Moments" feed has become a carefully managed front stage, where users perform curated versions of themselves.
The "three-day visibility" setting, meanwhile, works like a retractable curtain — allowing people to step back into a more private backstage whenever they choose.
越来越多人选择“仅三天可见”，对于他们而言，这不是矫情，而是一种本能的印象管理。
An increasing number of users are opting for the "visible for three days only" setting. For them, it isn't about being overly dramatic — it's an instinctive form of impression management.
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