Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Karaoke for one: China’s $1 trillion ‘loneliness economy’ gives a
glimpse of the world’s future
Singlehood has been treated as a bridge stage between independence and
marriage for young people. However, more people are now choosing to live by themselves
longer and enjoy lonely lifestyles. Thanks to smartphones, they can spend time
on video games, video clips, micro dramas, and SNSs as long as they want and
never feel lonely. If they feel like talking or chatting with someone, AI
companions are there 24/7. And businesses are becoming more accommodating to
singledom, especially in Japan, South Korea, and China. Individual food packages
at convenience stores and even supermarkets, smaller dishes and hotpot for solo
diners at restaurants, and phone-box-sized karaoke booths for lone singers, to
name a few. The so-called “solo economy” is attracting businesses because singles
tend to have bigger wallets for themselves. Also, since the populations are
fast shrinking and more people choose not to form families in these countries,
single-person households have become an important market for businesses.
Read the article and learn about the increasing economy in Eastern
Asia.
No comments:
Post a Comment