A screenshot shows rankings and votes for students' performances in school dramas at Wuhan High School in central China's Hubei province. [Photo/The official WeChat account of Wuhan High School]

In a recent incident that caused a stir, an online poll asked users to rate best performers in school dramas at central China's Wuhan High School. But some parents said asking strangers to vote was unfair as the dramas were not shown live. They claimed that the votes will not reflect the actual performance and will be biased in favor of those who are able to drum up biggest support online using their connections.

After public criticism, the school later clarified that the votes were only part of the final scores, and were neither crucial nor decisive.

While this may only be one example of many such cases, critics also claim that these activities could be a way of brand marketing.

"Usually the organizers set up the online polls in order to grab more attention from the public and to expand their own influence," said Peng Xiaoyun.