Health
Young Chinese hire ‘life stand-ins’ to cook and care for elderly parents amid booming trend
Key Points
From cooking and attending hospital visits to doing the actual quarrelling, paid “life stand-ins” are stepping in to manage these tasks, along with errands and awkward moments that many young Chinese would rather avoid. This trend, known as the “stand-in economy,” is gaining traction among time-strapped consumers who are willing to pay for convenience when daily responsibilities exceed their time, patience, or expertise. First widely reported by mainland media in 2024, the movement has since...
From cooking and attending hospital visits to doing the actual quarrelling, paid “life stand-ins” are stepping in to manage these tasks, along with errands and awkward moments that many young Chinese would rather avoid.
This trend, known as the “stand-in economy,” is gaining traction among time-strapped consumers who are willing to pay for convenience when daily responsibilities exceed their time, patience, or expertise.
First widely reported by mainland media in 2024, the movement has since...