A look at the growing usage of social media apps like Douyin among the elderly in China since the COVID-19 lockdowns, often to find companionship
Lavender Au / Wired : LinkedIn: Yongjian L. and Ethan Tan LinkedIn: Yongjian L. : Wired magazine just released an article discussing the usage of Douyin/TikTok by elderly individuals in China. It features my research findings and experiences as a caregiver. … Ethan Tan : ‘Hooked’ is probably not the right word. I think social media in China is doing exactly the thing that they are intended to do for the elderly. …
Context & Ripple Effects
The report places Douyin’s post-lockdown use among older Chinese people in a broader companionship gap already visible in the expansion of dating apps in China. It matters because a mainstream short-video service, rather than a purpose-built care product, is serving a social role for an older cohort.
Later coverage of AI products targeting loneliness among older people and a viral living-alone check-in app suggests that companionship and reassurance are becoming distinct digital-service use cases in China.
First-order effects
- For older Douyin users, the app becomes a recurring source of social contact and companionship, not solely an entertainment channel.
- Douyin’s relevance broadens across age groups as elderly users incorporate it into routines shaped by isolation and caregiving needs.
Second-order effects
- Services aimed at connection—including dating and elder-care apps—face a higher bar: they compete with the social engagement already available inside mass-market platforms.
- The pattern creates a clearer opening for tools that add reassurance or structured support around living alone, as later seen in a one-tap daily check-in service.
Third-order effects
- If this behavior persists, China’s consumer internet platforms may increasingly compete on social and care-adjacent utility across generations, rather than segmenting products strictly by age or category.
- The longer-term question is whether general social feeds can safely meet loneliness-related needs or whether specialized, accountable elder-support services gain ground alongside them.
The trend: Digital companionship in China is moving from a niche social-app feature toward a cross-generational use case spanning short video, chatbots, and safety-oriented services.