Abstract Book of the 3rd International Conference on Social Sciences
Year: 2026
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Multimodal Metaphors of Youth Anxiety: A Conceptual Metaphor Analysis of Chinese Student AnimationHuangyi Yu
ABSTRACT:
Anxiety among young people is a growing global concern, yet little research has examined how everyday anxiety is expressed through multimodal metaphors in youth‑generated media. This study analyzes three Chinese student graduation animations on Bilibili that address anxiety and the culturally salient notion of nèihào (internal friction)—a form of self‑consuming rumination. Using Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Forceville’s multimodal framework, a frame‑by‑frame qualitative analysis identifies four recurring metaphorical patterns: vertical sinking, spreading lines, internal devouring, and externalized evaluation. These metaphors rely on audiovisual synchronization (e.g., downward movement paired with low‑frequency sound) to generate embodied sensations of pressure, entrapment, and cyclical rumination. Not all metaphors transfer equally across cultures: sinking and lines draw on basic bodily experiences and are widely intelligible, whereas devouring and externalized evaluation are tied to nèihào and require cultural adaptation. The findings extend multimodal metaphor research to non‑commercial student animation, provide a typology of anxiety metaphors in contemporary Chinese youth culture, and offer practical resources for culturally sensitive mental health messaging.
Keywords: multimodal metaphor; youth anxiety; internal friction; student animation; Chinese social media