This paper conceptualizes social distance. From the perspective of sociology, the third person
effect, as a social judgment, can be adjusted by social distance. People often feel that the information
conveyed through the mass media has a greater impact on the people or groups who are more different
from themselves, more distant from themselves and more distant from the society, and has a relatively
small impact on the people or groups who are similar to themselves, closer to them and less distant
from the society. In this paper, the definition of social distance is framed in two dimensions related to
the third person effect and new media use, trying to explore the theoretical relationship between these
two dimensions and the group perception stereotype, group identity and media use habits. In Xiaogan
City, Hubei Province, this paper conducts a sample questionnaire survey on “the network incident
caused by the dispute between Henan square dancing aunts and teenagers seizing the basketball court”.
Based on the analysis of the interview data of 503 local residents, it is found that the group's media bias,
stigmatized negative information and normative function of the media all contain multiple dimensions
of media solemnity. These dimensions, together with the dissolution of etiquette order, have a direct or
indirect impact on social distance.