The internet-celebrity phenomenon, a quintessential manifestation of China’s digital transformation, exemplifies individual social mobility while exercising profound economic and social influence. Grounded in Castells’ theory of the network society and adopting a techno-social co-constructivist framework, this study employs historical-comparative analysis to decode its ontological essence, generative mechanisms, and axiological implications. Structurally, social media infrastructure and user demographic configurations serve as constitutive determinants, shaping the phenomenon’s expressive modalities, identity formations, and value orientations. Its sociocultural ramifications materialize through three interlocking mechanisms: the aggregative dynamics of virtual space, the relational paradigms of online communities, and capital-driven market forces. The transition from cultural symbolism to economic instrumentality marks a paradigmatic shift within the digital value chain, crystallizing as the internet-celebrity economic model. Philosophically, this evolutionary trajectory invites critical engagement with fundamental tenets of value theory. It necessitates inquiry into the commodification of cultural value, whereby intangible social expressions are subsumed under market logics. The phenomenon also instantiates the dialectic between technological determinism and human agency: while digital platforms facilitate novel forms of value creation, they concurrently redefine the epistemological parameters of value judgment. By illuminating the intersection of individual aspirations and collective value norms, this study contributes to discourses on value pluralism, ethical governance in digital societies, and the philosophical foundations of contemporary social transformation. Philosophically, this reveals a crisis of value nihilism in digital capitalism, where market logic subordinates authentic human expression to instrumental metrics, echoing Adorno’s critique of the culture industry.