Rough life vs polished social photos: what do they tell about Chinese youth?
The lifestyle attitudes of young people in China can be glimpsed through their approach to social circles. While meticulously polished posts dominate the WeChat Moments (or loosely said ‘Friend Circle’ ), the rise of 'Rough Life Posts' offers a refreshing contrast. Featuring unedited photos, casual compositions and poses, this trend emphasizes 'authenticity.' A group of young people is moving away from the pressure to present a perfect life experiences, choosing instead to embrace a more genuine approach that celebrates self-acceptance and real life.
'Polished Social Circle' photos versus 'Rough Life' photos. Image: Xiaohongshu @ 户外薯
However, there’s a trend emerging that contradicts the 'rough life photos.' The 'one day female socialite' photoshoot has gained popularity on social media. This allows women to spend a little to experience the lavish lifestyle of a socialite for a day. According to posts on Xiaohongshu, the 'socialite experience' takes place in luxury hotel suites, where participants can wear high-end fashion, be surrounded by designer jewellery and luxury bags, and a thousand roses. Guided by a photographer, they strike classic 'socialite' poses to create their own ’high-society persona‘ photos. To enhance authenticity, the photographer uses the customer’s phone for the shoot. The main appeal of these 'socialite' photos is to help them build an impressive social media image at an 'incredible value.'
Typical 'one day female socialite' photos. Image: Xiaohongshu @摄影师as @王有薇（向哥） @小曜宝 (farealmedia01)
If some people are spending a small amount to experience ‘female socialite’ lifestyle, there's an even more surprising business: selling fake social media photos on Goofish (Alibaba's second-hand online trading platform). For just little money, you can "live" the enviable life of someone else. All you have to do is open Goofish and type 'social media photos' into the search bar, and you'll find numerous sellers claiming to help you build your personal brand and curate your social media image, complete with a variety of images. There's even a dedicated section on Goofish called #Prepackaged Social Media Photos for Sale#, where sellers offer a wide range of "high-quality" social media photos. The content is extensive, featuring everything from food and leisure to global travel snapshots, first-class experiences, and socialite vibes—it's all there. Individual photos range from just a few yuan to several dozen, with price variations mainly depending on how complicated it is to obtain the material.
Prepackaged social media photos for sale on Goofish.
To create a sense of authenticity, each photo is sold only once, ensuring that your social media photos remain unique. Some sellers even offer to feature specific luxury items in the shots, with brands like Cartier, Bulgari, and Prada readily available. To verify the authenticity of these luxury goods, they can provide purchase receipts and jewellery appraisal certificates. In addition to customized photos, some sellers also provide 'location tagging' services. If you want to tag a specific place in your post, they can post it for you with the desired location included. This is commonly referred to as 'proxy posting.' There are two main approaches: one involves the seller logging into your WeChat to send the post directly, while the other provides a plugin that allows you to change your WeChat location.
Wrapping up
‘Authenticity vs. Ostentation’ emphasizes the diversity of Chinese society, demonstrating the different lifestyles and values across various segments of the population. However, from a long-term perspective, young people are increasingly seeking authentic experiences and self-exploration, moving away from the empty slogans and stories of flashy consumerism. For brands, this presents an opportunity to revamp their marketing content. Communicating unfiltered authenticity and curating relatable content will resonate with consumers who celebrate the joy of real life.
