02:07

Why millions of Chinese youths find solace in “digital parent” videos

Young people with strained parental ties are finding emotional support from heartwarming videos by content creators role-playing as their parents.

Published: 2:58pm, 2 Jan 2026

Young people seeking parental affection in China are increasingly turning to online “digital parents”. The term refers to creators who express love and care in videos that are shared across Chinese social media platforms to spread warmth to millions of youths.

Why millions of Chinese youths find solace in “digital parent” videos

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Young people with strained parental ties are finding emotional support from heartwarming videos by content creators role-playing as their parents.

Young people with strained parental ties are finding emotional support from heartwarming videos by content creators role-playing as their parents.