‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults
Reported by The Guardian World, not nibnow. We are not the publisher of this story, only the source is.
Young adults in China are facing a stagnant jobs market, leading them to adopt extremely low-cost and low-maintenance alternatives to children or pets, such as raising bricks.
Faced with a stagnant jobs market, many are spurning children or pets in favour of ‘raising bricks’ Young adults in China looking for a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having children or pets have found an answer: raising bricks. Bricks may not be as cuddly as cats or as life-affirming as human offspring, but they also cost next to nothing. “No cats, no dating, I started raising a brick,” wrote one brick parent on social media. Continue reading...
Economic pressures and high youth unemployment can drive demographic shifts and cultural coping mechanisms among young adults, influencing lifestyle choices and social trends.
- •Further social media trends and online discussions related to alternative hobbies among young adults in China.
- •Potential economic indicators regarding youth employment and cost of living in the region.