Behind the Avatar: Digital Labor Alienation among Virtual Idol Operators on China's Bilibili Platform

Digital labor is becoming more organized, mediated, and commercialized through online platforms as platform capitalism grows. Although previous research has looked at digital employment in a variety of industries, workers behind virtual idols have received less attention. This examines the labor practices and lived experiences of virtual idol operators in platform‐mediated production contexts on China's Bilibili platform. The study uses virtual ethnography, which combines participant observation and textual analysis, and is based on Marxian labor alienation theory. The results show that operators do a lot of unpaid labor, such as character design, content development, emotional management, and promotional work, in addition to compensated activities like live‐stream performances. Four aspects of alienation are produced by these practices: estrangement from oneself, labor objects, labor tools, and work products. Platform dependence, intellectual property restrictions, and algorithmic governance all influence this kind of alienation. Operators respond by using coping mechanisms such as identity unmasking, emotional release, and adaptable self‐adjustment. This study emphasizes the wider implications of platform governance and applies labor alienation theory to new types of immersive digital production. To encourage the long‐term growth of the virtual idol economy, it emphasizes the necessity of more robust legislative frameworks, more contractual protections, and more human‐centered platform design.