Social Media Digest (Jan 28, 2026)

Grounded living

For years, the younger generation — growing up with the rapid rise of the internet — has embraced a fast-paced lifestyle defined by fast food, short videos, and the constant pursuit of quick success. However, a quieter countercurrent is now emerging among young people in China. Instead of chasing the next viral hot spot or squeezing life into 15-second clips, they are turning to what they call "old-school life".

Across social media, users share videos that capture the essence of this lifestyle: crocheting clothes stitch by stitch, strolling through neighborhood parks, or filming sunlight drifting across a windowsill — all of which reflect a deliberate shift toward mindfulness, calm, and being present.

Lin Hongyi, a post-2000s graduate, exemplifies this trend through a small but meaningful choice: buying groceries at a neighborhood wet market. "The prices aren't even cheaper than in a shopping mall, but I still like going there," he told Fengwei Xingqiu, a Chinese food and culture media outlet. "It feels leisurely and familiar. Many stall owners have become acquaintances."

In a world where communication so often happens online, this lifestyle highlights the value of personal interactions. Lin has gained everyday wisdom — from selecting smaller, sweeter chestnuts to storing vegetables in breathable newspapers. "These are things online shopping can't teach you," he added.

Bromance reboot

For a long time, men's friendships have been seen as practical rather than emotional. Instead of deep heart-to-heart talks, men are often thought to bond over shared activities — golfing buddies, poker friends, gym partners — choosing companionship for what they do together rather than how they feel together.

But a small, unexpectedly tender trend on TikTok is starting to challenge that stereotype. Known as "Goodnight bro", it involves men calling or leaving voice messages for their male friends before bed simply to wish them goodnight.

The trend began when a woman recorded her husband calling his close friends before going to sleep and posted the clip online. The men's responses ranged from awkward laughter to genuine surprise and, in some cases, unexpectedly heartfelt replies, such as: "I love you too. I don't know what to say — you caught me off guard."

The idea quickly spread, garnering more than 3 million views and prompting a shift in how men perceive and express emotional connections with their friends. Thousands of men joined in, repeating the experiment and discovering the impact of a simple, caring gesture.

David Berez, a retired police officer with a master's degree in applied positive psychology, wrote in Psychology Today that the trend's viral success could have real value in high-stress professions.

"By creating culturally acceptable methods for emotional connection and peer support, such approaches could complement formal intervention strategies and contribute to reducing alarming suicide rates among officers," he wrote.