During mealtimes, Vincent Zhang, a tech worker in Shanghai, habitually checks his phone to see his 'virtual parents': a middle-aged couple online who shower their imaginary child with warm words. In one popular video, the pair coos: 'Are you tired from work and study lately? Don't push yourself too hard. Mum and Dad know you've endured a lot.'

In the comments, many call the couple 'mum' and 'dad', sharing their lives and asking for birthday blessings. Pan Huqian and Zhang Xiuping, with nearly two million followers on Douyin (China's TikTok), are among a niche group of 'virtual parents' content creators. They have exploded in popularity among young Chinese feeling squeezed between pressure to succeed and family expectations.

'My parents never tell me not to drive myself too hard or that I'm good enough,' says 33-year-old Vincent. 'But virtual parents ask me if I'm happy today.' Vlogger Pan says he understands viewers' pain, having had a difficult childhood himself. At 14, he left home to become the breadwinner after his mother was paralyzed: 'I left home for 33 years, and my parents never said a word of encouragement.'

Pan says he was determined to create a different family atmosphere after his daughter was born, always telling her he loved her. His daughter regularly appears in their videos. Vincent finds weekly calls with his own parents stressful; they criticize his career choice and ask when he'll bring a girlfriend home. 'From the moment the call begins, all my actions and choices are wrong and need correction.'

Zhao Xuan, 28, says her parents dispensed so much 'gourd soup literature' (a meme about parental nagging) that she muted the family group chat. She now turns to memes for humor: 'I went to a therapist, but gradually realized crying wouldn't solve the problem. My mom won't change, so I can only change my mindset, treating them as a joke.'

For Vincent, 'virtual parents' remind him of simpler times. Recalling a video of Pan and Zhang visiting a supermarket, he says: 'I miss the days when I was little and went grocery shopping with my parents before Spring Festival. We haven't had such conversation without social pressure for a long, long time.'

Vincent acknowledges the commercial success: 'I know these vloggers are probably mass-producing now and signed with companies.' Yet he finds comfort: 'I believe a little bit of warmth is better than nothing.'

Source: www.bbc.com