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As CNY draws close, young Chinese seek solace in ‘digital relatives’
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The trend of “digital relatives” has come into the spotlight in China as Chinese New Year, the country’s largest festival, draws near.
PHOTOS: DOUYIN
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CHONGQING – Whenever undergraduate Chen Xi, 20, has a personal or school-related problem, she turns to her favourite “digital relatives” on social media app Douyin, instead of her biological family, for comfort.
She finds solace in short videos posted by actors simulating online calls between loved ones. Her favourite is one where a pair of pretend-parents tell their viewers – or “children” – that they are proud of them, no matter what they have achieved in life.
