From a recent youth survey conducted by enoVate, family values are a high quality of life indicator. Quality of life represents the ideals that Chinese youth strive for, things they may not necessarily have right now. However, the topics of relationships and dating are the forefront of Chinese youth interests. We’ve pulled out three key areas centering on relationships and dating in Chinese youth society:

• The formative single life
• The building of their personal relationships
• Maintenance of these relationships and their portrayal in popular culture

Formative Single Lfe

It is a common conclusion that a young Chinese person has certain “relationship cut-off ages” that are symbolic in their lives. In a recent article on Sina, these ages are broken down in a more humorous manner. Between the ages of 25 to 27 are symbolic as a “must be dating by or married” age. If you cross the 27 year-old age barrier, the slope is slippery into the throes of bachelorism.

However, this viewpoint is typically hammered into the minds of Chinese youth by overbearing parents or societal norms. As an 80’s Generation Chinese youth states, “the 80’s generation enjoys their single lives, because they’ve grown up in a single family household…they also prefer to share their feelings with a computer rather than with their friends.” This comment may seem contradictory but in this modern age in China, feelings are shared online, friendships are found online, and individualism is expressed. This means that a single life in China is not a lonely life anymore. The following is a quote from a Chinese female netizen providing insightful commentary to this notion:

“Yes! I am single, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, and do not need to worry about my significant other cheating on me, or take care of daily life errands, and can blog away at anytime I want without worrying about affecting the other person’s schedule.”

But being single is not an ideal shared by all Chinese youth. A recent phenomenon that is also about connecting friendships online is known as “Flash Play” (闪玩), coined by IWOM Company CIC as “offline events organized by netizens online.” These meet-ups can be casual in nature, ranging from travel to KTV, but can also result in limited relationships that do not offer the same long-term benefits as normal relationships.

Building of Personal Relationships

But what is a normal relationship for Chinese youth? Often, the premise of normalcy, or the way things should be is presented in popular television shows in China. One example is the TV show “i-Partment”. “i-Partment” details the lives of 7 single 80’s Generation Chinese youth all living under one roof. Their relationships and love life reflect many traditional values, but it is also noted that some of the plot lines are un-realistic and overtly idealistic. However, the show leaves off many of the youth aspects related to sex, an area, that according to conversations with Chinese girls, about half are indifferent towards before marriage.

Maintenance of these relationships and their portrayal in popular culture

The pressure to date, marry, and be happy is a strong ideal for Chinese youth. The online landscape provides an escape for many Chinese youth, however as noted it’s not always something that is permanent. In the future of relationships and dating in China, it’s hard to predict a trend, but even though popular culture and government stances will promote traditional values, it’s likely new generations will be exposed to new thoughts and ideas, transcending into sex, relationships and dating amongst Chinese youth.

Dating in college is the first thing that comes to my mind when talking about relationships and dating amongst Chinese youth. Since dating is the “required course”, most Chinese students are very passionate and willing to spend money on it. Recently, I’ve been talking with a couple of college students about their dating costs in order to understand what is important for them and how these costs influence their lives.

Scofield Tan is a 22 year-old guy studying at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. Here is a list of his monthly dating costs (in RMB):

1. Food 200
2. Transportation 100
3. Party 350
4. Shopping 200
5. Hotel 200

Total costs: 1050RMB

Most Chinese college students get money from their parents every. month, Scofield is no different. He receives 2000 RMB per month which is much more higher than most people in college. According to enoVate team member Sunnie Qin, her classmates receive around 500 to 800RMB per month.

Sunnie is a 21 year old female studying at Shanghai Ocean University. Let’s take a look at her list:

1. Food 150
2. Transportation 60
3. Buy snacks 50
4. Party 150
5. Cellphone bill 30
6. Shopping 400

Total costs: 840RMB

Sunnie receives 1200RMB every month from her parents which is still higher than most students from Tier 2 cities. Sunnie also mentions that in a typical Chinese relationship, guys spend more money than girls.

According to the above information, we see that generally students that date spend at least half of their living fee on dating. They mainly spend their money on food, shopping, and parties. Students from Shanghai, Beijing and other Tier One cities receive more money from their parents so of course they are the main spenders. Clearly the costs of dating bring these university students happiness, but it it not required. How to spend money on the right thing and how to make money is something they must think about in the future.

This week on the enoVate blog, we’ll be taking a quick glance into the topic of relationships and dating amongst Chinese youth. The answer to the headline may appear obvious, but we are also interested in the following:

• Online Dating
• How brands use sex and relationships to market their products
• The portrayal of sex and relationships in popular Chinese youth media
• Shopping and dating habits
• Generational differences in relationships and dating

If you have anything interesting to add to this topic this week, don’t hesitate to contact us!