"Please Listen to Me"... China's Gen Z Opens Their Wallets to Ease Loneliness [China.zip]

Daily fees can reach thousands of yuan
Known as “listeners” or “conversation partners”
Mostly used by Gen Z facing work and study stress
The rise of one-person households is also a factor

Editor's NoteThis series explores fascinating stories from China’s vast and complex economy, society, and culture, and “unpacks” them to bring you the essential points.

Members of China’s Gen Z, born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, are turning to paid online conversation partners to ease feelings such as loneliness and stress. With fees reaching thousands of yuan a day, more people are seeking to exploit the service, raising concerns about related crimes and other harmful effects.

Young People Pouring Out Their Feelings to Conversation Partners on Their Smartphones

AI-generated image.

The service is conducted mainly through online voice calls, with fees charged by the hour. Using it continuously for 24 hours can cost 2,000 to 3,000 yuan a day (about 400,000 to 600,000 won).

China’s Red Star News put the trend in the spotlight on October 14, reporting that “searches for ‘companionship,’ ‘listening’ and ‘conversation’ on major platforms bring up a flood of links to related services,” a sign of strong demand among people today. Locally, these providers are known as “listeners” or “conversation partners,” and sophisticated systems allow users to choose a partner tailored to their preferences and personality.

Photo for illustrative purposes. Pexels.

Recently, a story about Xiao Qi, a graduate of a prestigious university in his 20s, sparked controversy after it emerged that he had spent more than 1 million yuan on online conversation services over two years. He sought counseling to address his excessive reliance on the service. It was confirmed that his parents had paid the 1 million yuan (about 200 million won) he spent over the two years.

“I grew up with high expectations from my parents, but I had no one to open up to,” he said. “I really wanted to have a warm conversation with someone.” Always a top student, he entered a prestigious university, but the pressure led to depression. After repeatedly failing to get into graduate school and pass professional exams, his confidence plummeted. He said he then discovered online conversation services and thought they could help him find emotional stability and improve his study efficiency.

“The Choice of Young Chinese People Worn Down by Work and Study Stress”

Photo for illustrative purposes. Pexels.

Psychiatrist Zhang Zongfeng said, “At its core, the desire to talk to someone comes from a longing for love and attention. People want to relieve everyday stress by talking to someone, but in real-life relationships, they fear the other person’s reaction, which makes it difficult to open up.” He added that “most people look for someone who listens carefully to what they have to say without getting irritated.” Online conversation partners also pose less of an emotional burden than real-life relationships, as users face no risk of rejection and can end the interaction at any time, he said.

The spread of one-person households, along with the work and study pressures faced by Gen Z in a highly competitive society marked by “involution,” appears to be accelerating the trend. A consumer trend is taking hold in which people seek emotional comfort commensurate with what they pay, instead of having to engage in emotional labor in real-life situations.

However, as more young people seek someone to confide in, cases of people exploiting them are also increasing. Some pose as sharing a hobby or expressing romantic interest to encourage users to buy expensive liquor, while others turn voice recordings into illicit trade. Ads claiming that people can earn money by listening to others’ problems are also on the rise. Searches for terms such as “side jobs on conversation (chat) apps,” “chat apps that let you make money” and “whether chatting is illegal” are appearing alongside related content. The outlet said that services offering comfort through “togetherness” are being tainted by fraud and illicit entertainment deals, and called for strict platform regulation.

Industries Catering to Demand for Emotional Relief and Care Are Growing

The trend is in step with the “empathy economy,” “loneliness economy” and “companionship economy” that have been gaining traction in China in recent years. These service-based economies focus on providing consumers with emotional comfort, easing loneliness and meeting demand for psychological care.

According to iiMedia Research, a Chinese market research firm, the country’s emotional economy market grew 17.8%, from 2.30777 trillion yuan in 2024 (about 46.45 billion won) to 2.71855 trillion yuan in 2025 (about 54.7 billion won). It is projected to exceed 4.5 trillion yuan (about 905 trillion won) by 2029.

The empathy economy has become one of the areas of the emotional economy market most closely connected to everyday consumption and with the greatest growth potential. Local media reported that “as social problems such as the spread of single-person lifestyles and an aging population converge amid shrinking social relationships and emotional hunger, consumption aimed at caring for one’s emotions and finding comfort will continue to expand.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.