China’s middle-aged and elderly influencers giving youth comfort through the illusion of familial bonds

A trend has emerged on Douyin and Xiaohongshu where accounts posing as 'parents and grandparents' have gained popularity, dubbed the 'electronic family (电子亲人).'

‘Electronic family’ accounts portray an idealized image of family members: emotionally stable, speaking kindly, listening without judgment, and showing respect, understanding, and supporting their children. They avoid lecturing young people and remain curious about youth culture.

These 'electronic family members' have been embraced by young people, who share happiness and pour out their life's bitter pills, seeking advice and guidance just as they would with their real parents, but in the comments section.

Account @和女儿分享日常 which has over 1.15 M followers and 22.9 M likes on Douyin. The vloggers, a middle-aged couple, always appear kind and approachable in their short videos. Viewers feel like they're their daughters as the couple shares their daily lives and shows warm-hearted, down-to-earth care. Viewers are deeply touched by the sense of unconditional love the couple expressed.

Account @小琳妈妈 which has over 225,000 followers and 925 thousand likes on Xiaohongshu/RED. This middle-aged female food blogger portrays herself as a friendly and approachable motherly figure. She speaks in a gentle and tender tone, with a warm smile, and teaches 'her children' how to cook everyday meals from a mother's point of view. She also shares life hacks, making netizens feel her attentive care as a mother.

Account @爷爷 which has 212,000 followers and 1.94 M likes and saves on Xiaohongshu/RED. The feeds are uploaded by her granddaughter. Viewers who empathize with the granddaughter's perspective become the 'good girls' in their grandfathers' eyes, experiencing the simple greetings from their grandfathers in their daily routines. Many of these viewers reminisce about their own kind and approachable grandparents.

Despite knowing that 'electronic family members' are fictional, young people are willing to pay for such content, which reflects their focus on self-care, healing from family traumas, and fulfilling their emotional need for familial affection.

From this, brands can learn that many of China’s youth desire simple, everyday familial affection. Rather than depicting an idealized and perfect family reunion, they can show genuine, warm scenes. When constructing brand or product roles, brands can try to address communication challenges in ordinary families, advising both generations and bridging the gap between them.