Steve Chen had never been in love. In spring 2024, though, it happened.
The 25-year-old met his first girlfriend in a way he could not have imagined before: a live-streamed video chat.
Frustrated with traditional dating and dating apps, Chen jumped on a new trend among young, single people in mainland China.
Those looking for love go into video chat rooms hosted by what is called a “cyber matchmaker”, all while thousands of viewers watch and comment in real time.
The number of single people in China over 15 reached a record high of 240 million in 2023, according to government data.
Empathy is the most important thing. You need to be empathetic to what people say
Facing a plummeting birth rate and an ageing population, the government has encouraged single people to marry and have multiple children. In 2024, the State Council, China’s cabinet, mandated that local governments build various platforms for youth to have more opportunities to date.
