China's Parents Are Managing Their Children's Love Lives Online

In China, more parents are using online platforms to find a husband or wife for their children. These websites let parents search for a son-in-law or daughter-in-law without asking their children directly. During the Chinese New Year, young people often hear many questions from their family members about marriage and relationships. Taking this into account, businesses have shifted their strategies. They now focus on parents who are concerned about their children's future and have the ability to spend, rather than trying to convince unmarried young people to get married, reported the South China Morning Post.

The growing number of online platforms has been positioned as a way to "introduce future in-laws." Previously, parents would go out on weekends to marriage markets and submit handwritten resumes of their unmarried children in search of the right match. Now, these online platforms offer parents the opportunity to choose a match for their son or daughter from the comfort of their homes, profiting from parental anxiety.

New users on these platforms first decide whether they are looking for a bride or groom. Profiles primarily focus on information such as age, education, occupation, and income, along with practical information such as housing and car status, marital history, and potential marriage timelines. Personality and hobbies are downplayed. Parents often consider their children's achievements in school, such as English competitions, and things like their zodiac sign.

This approach gradually transforms the process into a direct conversation between parents. New users receive only a few free attempts to initiate a conversation. To share contacts with potential partners, parents must purchase a subscription.