Always had feelings for Steve Chen. However, it occurred next flower. The 25-year-old met his first girl through a recorded video chat, which he couldn’t have imagined.
Chen, upset with traditional relationship and using apps, embraced a recent adage in China for young, single people. While thousands of viewers watch and post in real time, those looking for love enter video chatrooms run by what’s known as a” computer matchmaker.”
According to government statistics, the number of single people in China over the age of 15 reached a record-high of 240 million in 2023. The authorities encouraged one people to marry and have many children as a result of a declining baby level and an ageing population. The State Council, China’s case, mandated last year that regional governments build diverse platforms so that young people have more opportunities to day.
In a speech in 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged people to start families by saying” we should constantly develop a novel type of marriage and childbearing society.”
Shy and reserved, Chen had a difficult time dating. He once referred to himself as “mutai solo,” which means” one since birth.”
But those times are over.
Chen fell in love in a recorded videos chatroom.
Tian Xin, a cyber match who has livestreamed online class schedules on Xiaohongshu or Red Note, a Taiwanese social media app, for more than a year, hosted it.
By morning, Tian works for a software company. She transforms into a match at night who breaks the snow, makes gags, moderates conversations, and occasionally offers partnership advice. More than 130 000 people follow her profile.
” The most crucial factor is empathy,” he said. You must become sensitive to what others say, Tian told The Associated Press.
Over 800 viewers tuned in to Tian’s film chatroom at 11 p.m. on a night to watch background music from love-themed Chinese roll songs. On camera, eight people had their eyes arranged in a network on the screen. Another hundred waited in a modern waiting area.
Tian began by posing the following questions to each member: age, weight, height, job, income, area, zodiac sign, interests, and requirements for companions.
Do you possess any abilities or abilities to impart to us”? Tian asked a Pa teacher to be the one participant.
The guy removed his clothing and exercised his six-pack biceps and forearms. Tongues were dropped empty. Some clapped profusely.
” Lol.” was a novel reply that appeared in the conversation along with a number of laughing emojis. Is dating these days but difficult?
Individuals began to discuss their day-to-day lives and careers as they went about their weekly workouts, all while being candid about their cameras. One woman removed her beauty, and the other ate a late-night meal of cooked meat.
Chen claimed he had much free time to time while completing his internship as a medical student. ” Research and labor put a lot of pressure on.” I’m not able to connect with people and make companions.
Chen is not the only person who feels this method. According to a 2025 statement from iiMedia Research, a Chinese data research firm, over 30 % of young singles believe it is because of their demanding work lives. Staff at some Chinese companies are required to operate 12-hour days, six times a week. There is a growing trend of “lying flat” or “working as little as possible” to ward off societal pressure as a reaction.
However, the streamed videos are a compelling alternative to traditional matchmaking techniques, such as marriage markets, where families exchange resumes and schedule dates for their young children.
They’re a new opportunity for those who are bored with dating software.
Christine Zhang claimed that the live-streamed films are more entertaining and engaging than the software.
” You can see in streams more than just pictures on patterns. You can observe how one man acts and speaks,” Zhang said.
She began to watch Tian’s livestream often when Chen, who is also a regular, caught her attention. In front of the lens, he occasionally danced and sang.
Zhang told a crowd of hundreds of people on the video that she had a lover on him. She was admired by other members, along with a crowd of hundreds of followers, as well as her bravery. They were introduced to and encouraged to engage in one-on-one conversation on the video by the match. They texted and got together in person some weeks after.
Almost a year later, the two are committed to one another.
They both claimed to be grateful to had met.
Finding like is difficult. Zhang said,” I had to muster the courage to share my thoughts with the camera.” ” I believe only those who are courageous find like,” he said.