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Starved of Affection at Home, Young Chinese Seek Out ‘Digital Parents’

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Fan Xiaotong, a middle school student from Shanghai, likes to share everything with her parents. Whenever she feels stressed about a math test, or eats a tasty snack, the 13-year-old will pull out her phone and send a message to her mom and dad. The couple she is contacting, however, aren’t really her biological family. In fact, Fan, who spoke to Sixth Tone using a pseudonym to protect her privacy, doesn’t even know their real names. They are a pair of parenting influencers that she follows on China’s version of TikTok, Douyin. Fan has become a massive fan of the influencers; so much so that she has come to view them as her “digital parents.” For the teenager, the couple embody a positive, affectionate style of parenting — the kind she has never experienced at home. She knows that in reality the couple barely know who she is, and they often don’t respond to her messages. But Fan doesn’t care. She just loves the feeling of sharing her feelings with the couple, and the thrill of occasion

Starved of Affection at Home, Young Chinese Seek Out ‘Digital Parents’ TOPICS Subscribe to our newsletter By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use. FOLLOW US About Us | Contribute | Contact Us | Sitemap FEATURES Starved of Affection at Home, Young Chinese Seek Out ‘Digital Parents’ Many young Chinese feel unable to emotionally connect with their parents. So they’re turning to online influencers for the intimacy they crave. By Ye Zhanhang Mar 25, 2024 # family # social media Fan Xiaotong, a middle school student from Shanghai, likes to share everything with her parents. Whenever she feels s

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