Young people seek partners, but not necessarily for romance(4)

Fickle and fragile

Some netizens believe that a dazi relationship can be compared with a "fast food friendship", which is not high in nutritional value, but filling and convenient. However, with fast food there is always the risk of it "causing upset stomachs".

Many people have shared online their unhappy experiences with dazi, demonstrating that expectation is often better than reality.

A netizen named Berry, who likes playing mobile games, found dazi on social networking platforms and arranged to play games together. When he went online at the appointed time, he found they had disappeared from the game's friends' list without any explanation.

"I know that we can't rely on online partners, but that inexplicable disappearance was really sad," he said.

Other problems exist between dazi. Some drink wine together, but a wine dazi can be late and reluctant to share the bill. Some travel together, but one travel dazi did nothing to prepare for a trip, and was picky about the itinerary. Some people book a table at a restaurant, but their meal dazi fails to show up because he or she does not like their partner's appearance.

During the recent May Day holiday, social media platforms featured a wave of searches for travel dazi, resulting in happiness for some, but disappointment for others.

While young people benefit from a short association with a dazi, they also see the fickleness and fragility of such companionship.

Some netizens said their travel partner was ideal, but others said they would no longer travel with a stranger. Some even found that their dazi disappeared after receiving payment in advance for hotel fees.

In Hunan, Sanxiang City Express reported last month that Liu Xiaojie, who comes from the province, saw a post by a netizen from Shaanxi province looking for a travel partner. After chatting, the two women, who are both 24, had just resigned from their jobs, and had few savings, became dazi to travel on a budget.

In three months, they traveled to 15 cities, spending only about 5,000 yuan ($700) each.

Liu said: "Traveling with strangers is like opening a mystery box. There is a great deal of luck involved in the journey, and not everyone is as lucky as I am.

"A journey taken at the same pace and with the same ideas is perfect."

Liu added that during their journeys, they encountered travel partners who went their separate ways due to disagreements.

While Liu and her dazi have become best friends, some others have found love.

In posts related to finding meal partners, many people offer detailed personal information such as their age, star sign, educational background, profession and hobbies, as though they are attending a job interview or going on a blind date.

However, it seems that many dazi simply forget one another before finding new partners.