Young Chinese hire ‘life stand-ins’ to cook and care for elderly parents amid booming trend
Por Zoey Zhang — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Trending in China People & Culture Trending in China Young Chinese hire ‘life stand-ins’ to cook and care for elderly parents amid booming trend
Outsourcing life’s mundane tasks buys us freedom, but risks relinquishing the experience of living, says online observer
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Zoey Zhang Published: 10:20am, 4 Oct 2026
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 blossomed into a vast market for highly personalised errand services.
On RedNote, posts about paid handicraft and assembly assistance have garnered over 120 million views. For example, some users buy intricate Lego sets but lack the time needed to assemble them, opting instead to hire professional builders.
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