Most young Chinese say they struggle to make connections as ‘social phobia’ becomes new buzzword
- More than half of those interviewed by a newspaper said they found socialising – whether online, offline or both – difficult
- Some of those questioned said they did not enjoy meeting new people or taking part in activities such as team-building exercises
More than 60 per cent of young people in China find it difficult to socialise with others, mostly finding themselves at a loss when meeting people offline, a survey has concluded.
China Youth Daily interviewed 2,000 people aged between 18-35, 64 per cent of whom said they feel “stuck” or freeze up during social interactions.
Specifically, 27 per cent of all those canvassed said they have problems with offline social activities, 17 per cent said even online socialising is challenging for them, while 20 per cent said both online and offline interactions are hard for them.
Only 30 per cent said they did not find it difficult to make social contacts and the report did not say what the remaining 7 per cent had said.
The word shekong – which means “social phobia” – has become an increasingly popular buzzword among younger Chinese online, with may saying they are afraid of socialising in the real world.
A university graduate named Liu Jin from Wuhan, central Hubei province, told the newspaper he does not enjoy socialising with new people.