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Chinese Gen Z Going through an Emotional Renaissance – Soul Zhang Lu’s Survey Reveals

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The CEO and founder of Soul Zhang Lu has astutely used the predominantly Gen Z user base of the social platform to understand how Chinese Gen Z thinks, feels, and lives. The research wing of the social networking app has conducted multiple surveys to do so and released numerous reports that include the findings.

The latest among these is the 2025 Gen Z Social Trend Report. It comes courtesy of a joint effort on the part of Soul’s researchers and Fudan University, and it discusses Gen Z’s take on love, companionship, emotional intelligence, self-expression, and more.

Soul Zhang Lu’s team gathered responses from well over 11,000 users and coupled these with user-generated content from the platform to compile this report. Sentiments were gauged based on trending hashtags, user engagement for specific keywords as well as responses to a survey, and here are some of the observations and inferences made by the researchers.

Gen Z has walked into 2025 with a quest for emotional fulfillment and self-awareness and a lot of things they do, the ways in which they respond, and even the topics and trends they are attracted to, are rooted in this quest.

For instance, Zoomers have come up with a unique notion called silent connections. It’s being touted as a quiet revolution in socializing. For the unversed, “SilentConnect” is a live event that allows participants to engage by sharing ambient sounds. Think sounds of rain, breathing, rustling leaves, the distant cityscapes, typing, and others like them.

The idea is to allow emotions to flow and foster a feeling of companionship without the constraint of words. The novel concept attracted over 800 million viewers in 2024 and it promises to be just as much of a hit in 2025. 

This unconventional approach to connectivity not only showcases Gen Z’s creative streak but also highlights the fact that these youngsters have chanced upon a very mature understanding of companionship. They seem to have figured out that words are not the only path to intimacy.

As far as romantic relationships were concerned, many Zoomers confessed their desire for love and romance. On Soul Square, romantic love was the topic of conversation for nearly 4 million users. Soul Zhang Lu’s researchers also found that of the surveyed singles almost 86% hoped to exchange solitude for a romantic connection.

Although the desire for companionship was strong, as was expected, there was also a growing appreciation for “single” life. For women, personal growth, career aspirations, and self-discovery were cited as the reasons for staying single. On the other hand, men blamed financial concerns and past experiences for their single status.

While there were many takers for the “Singleton” lifestyle, Soul Zhang Lu’s researchers found that this certainly did not indicate a desire to shun socializing. But, as with all other aspects of life, Gen Z has a new approach to balanced socializing.

Youngsters are seeking relationships that allow for emotional security without demanding constant attention and this has given rise to the concept of “Guaranteed Chat partners” or “Gu Liao”.  According to Soul’s survey, nearly 70% of respondents prefer sharing emotions with their Gu Liao rather than romantic partners.

Another revelation that surprised Soul Zhang Lu’s team was that Zoomers are comfortable with the idea of integrating technology into their emotional lives. In fact, Gen Z views AI companions as co-passengers in their journey toward a new kind of intimacy.

Of course, some are still skeptical of artificial intelligence but for the most part, youngsters want to engage with this technology at a personal level. What’s more, they view these virtual beings as empathetic and non-judgmental listeners.  

In fact, such is Gen Z’s fascination with virtual beings that nearly 1.3 million users indulged in Soul’s newly introduced AI virtual partner feature in 2024. Also, almost 40% of the survey participants stated that they are comfortable sharing their innermost feelings and thoughts with these virtual entities.

When quizzed about entertainment and stress relief, the participants who interacted with Soul Zhang Lu’s researchers listed jogging, hiking, fitness, frisbee, surfing, skiing, and tennis as the top choices. Generally, “outdoor sports” was a trending lifestyle topic in 2024.

But, health and fitness were not the only motivating factors driving youngsters to indulge in outdoor activities. These novel sports were also doubling up as the starting point for new friendships. Moreover, with supportive online communities dedicated to just about every sport out there, information is easy to find no matter what activity Zoomers are interested in. This makes it easier to pick up a new hobby.

Moving from physical health to emotional well-being, Soul Zhang Lu’s researchers noted that Gen Z leans towards products and services that provide emotional value. This desire to pursue happiness through a dose of retail therapy has led to a rise in the kidult (kid-adult) culture.

From plush toys to anime-inspired merchandise, Zoomers are buying them all. While these purchases offer no practical value, they do act as a balm by allowing youngsters to rediscover the simple and untainted joys of childhood. This explains why character-based plush toys like Chiikawa, Loopy, and Capybara led to a lot of chatter on Soul in 2024.

This emphasis on emotional value over materialism is a clear indication of a shift in priorities. This generation views hobbies, gaming, and creative pursuits as investments in happiness, reinforcing the importance of personal fulfillment in their lives.

Similarly, their perspective on emotional well-being and their diverse take on relationships signals a generational shift that will undoubtedly influence interpersonal communications and connections for years to come.

So, through their report, Soul Zhang Lu’s team has essentially offered a glimpse into how individuals will engage with themselves and others in the future.

Sipochito (Tech Gaming)

About Sipochito (Tech Gaming)

Hi there! My name is Sipochito, A Digital creator and writer review who likes to write about Tech and gaming, and apps. My goal is to help others look and feel their best. I own a degree in Bachelor of Business (BBA) in Digital Marketing. I am here to answer all your queries related to tech, gaming, apps, and much more. Here at prothotsy.com, I not only equip you with the latest gaming trends but also consider tech AI and apps as the top priority. Follow my blog to make your games.

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