Debra Li

debra_lidan@163.com

AS another year is just around the corner, media outlets and lexicologists have compiled various lists of “trending words” for 2023, and one word that perhaps many of us can relate to is the Chinese term “da zi.” Describing a relaxed and practical friendship with focus on one aspect of life that we can share with others, like sharing a meal or visiting a museum together, this term captures the essence of the “sugar-free” friendship that many young Chinese desire.

A recent survey by Just So Soul, a research institute affiliated with the social networking platform Soul App, supplied these intuitive impressions of social trends with statistics.

To find out about the preferences of Gen-Zers in terms of social networking and spending, the institute surveyed 3,817 young people living in Chinese cities.

Echoing the trending topic “breaking ties with relatives,” the survey found that young people are less bound by kinship or place of origin when networking, who rank their own physical and mental health as the top priority of their lives.

About 54% of the subjects described the ideal friendship as “being in frequent touch, but allowing ample ‘me time.’” While 18% said they would get in touch when “in the mood,” a mere 12.6% said they “wish to be with friends all the time.”

The survey found that Chinese young people have an average of two BFFs, and a whopping 24% described themselves as a “lone wolf,” with no one to confide all their secrets to.

It came as no surprise that the young people in four top-tier cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen — spent the least time hanging out with friends (7.94 hours per week). On average, young people spent 8.25 hours per week with their friends. It’s also interesting to note that 9.1% of the surveyed said they enjoyed the company of virtual idols and AI chatbots.

As individualism is increasingly embraced by young people in China today, more view narcissism in a neutral or positive light, with 23.7% of the surveyed saying that “loving oneself is also romantic.” (The Chinese word corresponding with “narcissism” may have minute differences than the English term, however.)

Taking good care of their physical health is viewed as important by 55.5% of the subjects; 54.9% also focused on mental health and 51.7% rated healthy social relationships as pivotal. In their effort to decompress, 34.9% of the surveyed will share their worries with friends and seek their advice; 28.4% will find outlet for their emotions on social networks; while 23.5% will seek support from those with similar troubles.

This year, with a more reserved outlook on the economy, an increasing number of young people started to focus on cost-efficiency in their choice of spending. To keep fit, 36.1% opted for healthy lifestyles such as “early to bed and early to rise”; 24.4% spent money on massages or other traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) methods; 13.4% practiced such moderate exercise as Ba Duan Jin (a traditional Chinese indoor exercise); 11.9% took dietary supplements; and 10.2% gave themselves physical exams.

As personal ties weaken in our digital era, more people have become aware of the importance of rediscovering their local vicinity and building a community.

As young people have taken joy in shopping at fresh markets and exploring various destinations, topics related to the coined term “citywalk” were shared 100 times more this year than last.

With nearly 30 million monthly active users and 80% of them Gen-Zers, Soul App offers insight into the life of young urbanites in today’s China.