Why do old men and women fall in love with internet celebrities “A Smile That Conquers the City” and “Xiu Cai”?

Recently, the elderly group also has their own top internet celebrities: Yixiaoqingcheng and Xiucai.

Each of them has more than 10 million fans, and more than 50% of them are middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old. This proportion is enough to show their status in the minds of uncles and aunts.

The picture comes from the Internet

Grandpas and ladies watch their videos every day, express their love in the comment section, give rewards and top the charts in the live broadcast room, and there is even a 72-year-old lady who travels thousands of miles to meet the scholar... So much so that some people jokingly say that the two of them are going to drain the pensions of the grandpas and ladies.

Why do old men and women fall in love with internet celebrities "A Smile That Is Allure" and "Xiucai"?

Many people think it is their heart-touching looks and their signature moves:

The picture comes from the Internet

It is undeniable that this may be one of the reasons, but among the massive amount of comments, which easily reach tens of thousands, and behind the praise, care and confessions that are about to overflow the screen, there is something more worthy of attention: the emotional needs of the elderly.

Neglected emotional needs of the elderly

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, social and emotional needs are everyone's basic needs, which run through a person's life. The old men and women who in our eyes only love to dance and go to the park are naturally no exception.

Psychology also believes that when a person whose emotional needs are not met meets the person he or she believes is destined to be with him or her, he or she will display a series of typical behaviors of a person who is "lack of love" . The comment section of the two internet celebrities' videos is like a large-scale verification experiment of this emotional needs theory.

You can see their strong and even over-the-top emotional expressions:

The picture comes from the Internet

Desire for recognition, hope to win the other person's like and acceptance:

The picture comes from the Internet

In addition to expressing "love", there are more bits and pieces of daily life to share:

The picture comes from the Internet

And I don’t know who to tell about the bitterness of life:

The picture comes from the Internet

Young people have "tree holes" to pour out their little emotions. To some extent, "A Smile That Conquers the City" and "The Scholar" are also like the "tree holes" for middle-aged and elderly people, allowing them to talk and vent without being surrounded by others.

Behind the pursuit of Internet celebrities

It is the loneliness of middle-aged and elderly people

In the past, we always stereotyped that the elderly, as they are old, should no longer have those strong emotional needs and no longer need so much social life. However, this is not the case.

A meta-study of 14,072 elderly people in China found that about 28% of them felt lonely, and this figure was even more serious in rural areas . A survey of 5,652 elderly people in rural Anhui Province found that 78.1% of them reported moderate or above loneliness. Looking at the fans of Yixiao Qingcheng and Xiucai, about 95% of them live in second- and third-tier cities or below.

These huge numbers, together with the fanatical performance of these millions of middle-aged and elderly fans, tell us that the emotional needs of the "old" uncles and aunts in our eyes are stronger and more unsatisfied than we imagined.

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At the same time, this will also lead to many physical and mental health problems, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease, and easily cause symptoms of depression and anxiety . At the same time, due to the lack of social interaction, the brain will lack stimulation, leading to a decline in cognitive ability, and a decrease in self-worth and happiness.

From this perspective, it is a good thing for the old men and women who seek to interact with Yixiao Qingcheng and Xiucai every day.

If you have a need, why don't you say it?

In fact, if we think about it carefully, aren't those grandparents who love Yixiao Qingcheng and Xiucai the parents of many of us? Although elderly parents have practical emotional needs, there are many reasons why they have nowhere to turn to or cannot express themselves.

Firstly, parents’ social circles shrink due to retirement, health and other reasons, and they have fewer social activities with old friends and it is more difficult to make new friends. At the same time, their children often stay away from their families or rarely communicate with them due to work and other reasons, which makes them easily feel lonely .

Secondly, most parents are deeply influenced by our traditional culture. In the division of family roles, parents are the authority and elders in the family, and are the guides and supporters of their children. Such role responsibilities make many parents pay more attention to their children's needs, while ignoring and controlling their own emotions. In addition, there is a generation gap between many parents and their children, which makes it difficult for parents to find a suitable way to communicate and express themselves.

However, when facing the online celebrities Yixiao Qingcheng and Xiucai, parents finally breathed a sigh of relief, no longer restricted by red tape, and no longer having to think about their children. They can finally be themselves again and bravely express their love to each other. It is no wonder that even the frugal grandpas and grandmas in their daily lives will spend a lot of money for their loved ones in the live broadcast room.

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As children and younger generations, perhaps we should go home more often before we become confused and critical.

References

[1] Zuo, S., Lin, L., Chen, S., Wang, Z., Tian, ​​L., Li, H., & Xu, Y. (2023). Influencing factors of loneliness among older adults in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychogeriatrics, 23(1), 164-176.

[2] Wang, G., Zhang, X., Wang, K., Li, Y., Shen, Q., Ge,

[3] Luo, Y., & Waite, LJ (2014). Loneliness and mortality among older adults in China. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69(4), 633-645.

Planning and production

Author: ACC Psychology Popular Science Creation Team

Review | Tang Yicheng, Deputy Director of Beijing Zhongke Popular Psychological Health Promotion Center

Planning｜Yang Yaping and Fu Sijia

Editor: Yang Yaping

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