Social Media Digest (July 15, 2026)

Unfiltered wisdom

Feeling lost, anxious or uncertain about the future? A growing number of young people in China have found an unlikely source of reassurance: an 84-year-old British anthropologist.

Alan Macfarlane, emeritus professor of anthropological science at the University of Cambridge, has quietly become a social media sensation. Over the past year, he has posted simple, unfiltered videos on Xiaohongshu about work, anxiety, relationships and social change. There are no flashy effects or elaborate edits — just Macfarlane speaking calmly from his study and greeting viewers with a warm "Ni hao".

His topics range from the prospects facing liberal arts students in the age of AI to feelings of emptiness. When asked how he thought about death, he gave a characteristically eccentric answer: "I hope that in the end I can become a handsome sea slug."

Macfarlane once asked his followers why they kept watching. Three words repeatedly appeared: gentle, sincere and respectful.

One follower captured the appeal: "We like having an adult who truly listens, answers our questions patiently and never lectures or shows off."

Macfarlane told The Beijing News that his connection with young viewers in China is not accidental. He has visited the country more than 20 times and spent decades studying Chinese society and civilization. That experience, he said, helps him relate his observations to young people's lives.

Born to dye

Silver gray, bright yellow and electric blue — these aren't hair colors typically associated with middle-aged Chinese men. But salons across China are seeing more male customers in their 40s experimenting with vibrant shades, a trend internet users have jokingly called "the post-80s generation's collective rebellion".

For those born in the 1980s, dyed hair was once a teenage badge of defiance. A man surnamed Yang, who was born in 1987, told Qilu Evening News that he secretly dyed his hair blond as a teen, only to be scolded by his parents for looking "improper" and forced to cut it off within days.

Now 39, Yang saw the online buzz and decided to try silver gray. This time, his parents simply laughed. His three children said he looked handsome, then burst into giggles.

Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Qilu Evening News that the phenomenon is a form of social "catchup" centered on self-compensation.

In his view, this isn't just about appearance. Many parents born in the 1980s feel less pressure to assert parental authority and are more willing to share their tastes and interests with their children.

"Family relationships are gradually shifting from 'authority and obedience' toward 'teammates and partners'," Wang said.

The colors may fade, but for a generation once told exactly how respectable adults should look, choosing for themselves may be the real rebellion.