Self-media has become a pivotal force in advancing cultural exchanges among Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states, experts said during a dialogue held in Tianjin on Wednesday.

"When I first came to China, neither I nor my friends knew what it was really like. Over the past decade, my short videos have gradually helped them overcome misunderstandings," Devinder Kumar, an Indian reporter at the China International Communications Group Center for Europe and Asia, said, adding that Indian YouTubers documenting China's diversity through authentic content have shifted perceptions.

However, the rapid professionalization of self-media presents new challenges.

"As online fame evolves from accidental discovery to deliberate cultivation, content homogeneity increases," said David Kolosov, a Russian PhD candidate in Peking University and a regular guest on the JSTV program, A Bright World.

"Yet youth expressing their values through digital creation opens new possibilities for personal growth and ideological exchange. Amidst constant change, sincerity and substantive content remain uniquely valuable."

Cheng Jin, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee at Xi'an Jiaotong University, said that youth initiatives amplify this impact, providing some examples.

Inside eight months, creators from more than 30 countries have produced in excess of 500 films for a program named Youth Bonds on Silk Road-International Youth Video Exchange.

Last month, the Ningxia Creation Camp exemplified this momentum, gathering more than 100 young creators from almost 30 nations to film cultural landmarks like the Western Xia Mausoleum and Shapotou, with eight resulting shorts securing partnerships with social media platforms for wider dissemination.

Kumar emphasized how such platforms transcend borders: "Youth Bonds on Silk Road-International Youth Video Exchange Program epitomizes strengthened friendship and mutual understanding.

"My Dunhuang video tracing shared Sino-Indian heritage along the ancient Silk Road reveals our profound common ground, despite differences."

"Youth potential hinges on platform opportunities. Greater support can empower them to craft narratives that transform perspectives and deepen mutual understanding," Kolosov added.

Zhang Yiwen contributed to this story.