Young people seek partners, but not necessarily for romance(3)

Experiences shared

Young people are sharing their experiences with dazi on domestic social media and lifestyle platforms, with the hashtag "fandazi" being viewed more than 6.5 billion times on Douyin.

On Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, blogger Yangyangzi Aimoyu posted a photo of herself and her "nap dazi" sleeping soundly on a mat about 1 meter wide. An accompanying comment stated: "I don't know if it is because my nap dazi is back, but today's afternoon nap was smoother, and I don't feel as though I have a headache any more."

Some users express their sadness at losing a dazi. Such comments include: "My meal dazi quit her job. I felt sad all day and got a mouth ulcer. It is more painful than being disappointed in love!", "You can live without love, but you can't live without a dazi", and "Losing a dazi is even worse than losing a boyfriend."

The survey carried out last month found that young people seek dazi to share similar interests, to accompany them or share costs, expand their social circle, and to motivate, monitor and help one another.

Some young people search for dazi because their lives are too fast-paced and their social circles too small.

Xu Kun, an expert at the 12355 hotline for youth psychological counseling and legal aid in Dalian, said: "Young people enjoy doing things together. Unlike relationships with colleagues, classmates, relatives and friends, those with a dazi are temporary and almost superficial. With less responsibility and pressure, the two people concerned get along more easily.

"This is why young people these days are enthusiastic about forming dazi circles."

A dazi relationship meets young people's social needs, but also reduces the basic costs in terms of time, energy and emotion required to maintain a close relationship, she added.

"This type of lifestyle also shows that young people are paying more attention to their inner feelings and trying to explore social relationships for enjoyment and to perceive the beauty of life in a way they like," Xu said.

Cao Jing, 25, who has worked in Beijing for three years, said it became harder to find people to socialize with after she graduated from university, as her schoolmates moved away and she did not want to become overly familiar with work colleagues.

On weekends, when she might go dancing, play badminton, eat out, visit exhibitions or enjoy live performances, she has partners for her different hobbies and interests.

"In general, we only communicate about our interests and hobbies, and the conversation never involves work, family or other aspects of personal privacy," Cao said.