“Daizi” social interaction: a precise companionship relationship in a specific situation

Recently, "Chat" social networking has become a hot topic on social networks, attracting widespread attention and discussion. "Chat" social networking covers many areas, such as "dinner chat", "chat chat", "travel chat", "outdoor chat", "badminton chat", "rowing chat", etc. Young people explore and create their own social networks through different types of "Chat", satisfying their social needs in different aspects of life.

As a new social relationship model, "Daizi" social networking reflects the social psychological changes of the current youth group. This article will explore the reasons for the birth of "Daizi" social networking and the youth social psychology behind it.

Author | Zhang Haoran

The rise of social networking: a precise companionship relationship in a specific situation

With the development of society and the popularization of information technology, the social methods and needs of young people have changed. However, the traditional way of interpersonal communication has encountered some constraints in the process of urbanization, such as time, geographical distance and other factors. In this context, young people are increasingly demanding more diversified and flexible social modes. It is in this context that social networking as a new form of social interaction has emerged.

A related survey shows that among all the surveyed groups, nearly 90% of young people have heard of "hookup" social networking, and girls are more obvious in this aspect, with the proportion reaching as high as 92%. Among them, more than 60% of young people expressed a strong desire to find a "hookup", and 18.6% of young people already have a "hookup". The light social hookup relationship has become a popular social method for young people. [1]

The so-called "social networking" refers to a social method based on finding common interests, goals or activities through social platforms or applications. This form of social networking can be said to be an emerging social method that brings new possibilities to people's social circles.

On the one hand, DaZi Social provides a more convenient platform where people can find partners with the same interests as themselves, thus establishing closer social relationships. Through DaZi Social, people can participate in various interesting activities, broaden their social circles, and make more like-minded friends.

On the other hand, social networking also provides people with a platform to expand their interests and hobbies. Here, people can find more people who also like a certain activity or topic, exchange experiences and share resources with each other, and further improve their skills and knowledge levels.

In short, Dazi focuses on precise companionship in vertically segmented scenarios. By connecting with people with similar interests and hobbies, users can share, communicate and interact with others in a focused environment. The goal of Dazi social networking is to meet users' social needs in specific areas by providing precise companionship.

Specifically, the characteristics of social networking include:

Mutual benefit : Both parties in a social relationship help each other, reach consensus and achieve mutual benefits.

Highly cooperative : Both parties work together to complete a task or achieve a common goal, working together and making concerted efforts.

Nature of exchange : The interaction between the two parties in a social relationship is oriented towards exchange and mutual assistance, and both parties gain something.

Relatively short-term : Most social relationships are established in specific situations and last for a relatively short period of time.

Why is social networking popular: The impact of the current social environment and technological background on youth social networking

The popularity of "hookup" social networking reflects the social psychology changes of the current youth group. First, young people are eager for diverse and stimulating social experiences. They hope to have fun and satisfaction in the social process. The reason why "hookup" social networking is popular is that it has become a supplement to traditional fixed relationships. Secondly, as a light social form without burden, "hookup" social networking can also obtain emotional satisfaction. Finally, the urbanization process has led to the weakening of social relationships, making young people more inclined to fill the loneliness and find emotional support through "hookup".

In addition, the development of the Internet and social media has made young people more accustomed to establishing connections through virtual social platforms, and media algorithms have profoundly influenced young people's tendency to socialize with strangers.

1. As a supplement to a traditional fixed relationship

The concepts of “strong ties” and “weak ties” in communication theory explain why young people tend to socialize with strangers. “Strong ties” refer to close and friendly relationships, usually between family members, relatives, and close friends. These relationships are based on long-term mutual understanding and trust, and therefore can generate deep communication and support in social interactions. [2]

In contrast, "weak ties" refer to relationships with strangers or people with less familiarity, such as classmates, colleagues, or casual acquaintances. Weak ties are usually based on short-term exchanges and less understanding, but they also have their value, such as providing new information and resources, expanding social circles, and promoting the discovery of innovation and opportunities.

Young people tend to socialize with strangers because they are more motivated to find new interpersonal relationships to meet their social needs, explore opportunities for personal development, and obtain new information and resources. It can be said that the reason why dating socializing is popular is that it has become a supplement to traditional fixed relationships.

In addition, in modern urban society, the expression of these strong relationship forces is often limited by a variety of objective conditions. Especially for young people struggling in big cities, the care of their parents is often limited by geographical distance, friends need to "cross half a city or multiple time zones" to meet, and love is not easy to obtain. Therefore, young people often face moments of loneliness and need to do some activities alone to fill this sense of emptiness.

2. Social fatigue and anti-connection among acquaintances

Hooking relationships usually begin in virtual networks. Young people use this to break away from their original identities, communities, or family relationships, and choose strangers as partners while reestablishing personal relationships. Compared with traditional social relationships, hooking relationships are anonymous and practical. In an era of oversocialization, people are experiencing "acquaintance social fatigue." People often take various "disconnection" methods to escape the over-connected social environment, resulting in antisocial behavior. "Anti-connection" does not mean unconditionally severing all relationships and introducing individuals, but rather severing relationships that may bring excessive pressure and burden to individuals in specific situations, so that individuals can regain the necessary private space, time, and freedom. The emergence of hooking relationships is a response to this "acquaintance social fatigue." "Acquaintance socialization" is a strong relationship. High connectivity increases social burdens and maintenance costs. When establishing hooking relationships, young people usually choose to avoid their current circle and establish connections with strangers. Therefore, they pay more attention to the practicality of hooking relationships and maintain a certain social distance. This anti-connection reflects a new social form of self-protection for young people in specific situations in contemporary society. [3]

3. Media algorithms fuel the trend

When establishing relationships, technology and algorithms are not just intermediaries, but can also actively build and manipulate relationships, play a regulatory and controlling role, and influence young people's tendency to socialize with strangers.

First, these algorithms will filter out content and network recommendations that match their interests based on users’ preferences and behavioral data. Then, many of the people young people come into contact with on social media platforms may be strangers, but due to the push of algorithms, they will be attracted and guided to interact socially with these strangers.

Therefore, when young people post tagged information about the need to recruit companions in specific situations on social platforms, the platforms can easily meet users' more personalized and customized companionship needs.

4. The advantage of socializing with friends is emotional satisfaction

The positive significance of social networking is that it is a light form of social interaction without burden, which can achieve certain goals and obtain emotional satisfaction. Because social networking is obviously selfish, when the goals of both parties are consistent, "social networking" can support and warm each other. At the same time, by maintaining a tacit sense of distance, both parties can easily stay in their comfort zone without pretending to be familiar or interacting frequently. This is the reason why the social network of social networking is so popular and it is also the reason why it is attractive.

Problems and challenges: The ethics and values ​​of socializing and their impact on interpersonal relationships

1. Challenge and reflection on social ethics and values

The popularity of dating social networking has brought new challenges to social ethics and values, and we need to reflect deeply on this. In traditional interpersonal communication, we usually emphasize face-to-face communication and real interpersonal interaction, while dating social networking uses virtual platforms and technical methods to conduct interpersonal communication. This new form of communication may cause a series of problems, such as the difficulty in determining the authenticity of information, the problem of privacy protection, and the superficiality of interpersonal relationships. In the face of these problems, we need to seriously think about and advocate the continuation of traditional values ​​in order to maintain the norms of social ethics and the principle of respecting others.

2. The impact of socializing on the quality and stability of interpersonal relationships

Social networking has a profound impact on the quality and stability of interpersonal relationships. The virtual nature of social networking allows people to establish and maintain various interpersonal relationships more conveniently. However, the superficial nature of social networking can also make people pursue short-term pleasure and virtual relationships, while ignoring real emotions and deep communication. This may lead to increased superficiality and instability in interpersonal relationships, making it easier for people to fall into isolated and illusory social circles. Therefore, we need to be aware of the limitations of social networking and focus on cultivating real and stable interpersonal relationships. Avoid over-reliance, which causes interpersonal relationships to become virtual and shallow.

3. Promote healthy, balanced and meaningful social interactions

According to reports, recently some netizens found on Xiaohongshu that "all-inclusive travel partner" is becoming a code word. Under the eye-catching title of such posts, it is usually noted that "only for girls, each takes what he needs." One netizen posted that when he was looking for a travel partner on Xiaohongshu, he was asked if he was looking for a "green partner." Xiaohongshu said that it has conducted a full review of the notes related to "travel partners" on the site, and has not yet located the problems reported by users mentioned in the article. Once it is verified that there is any violation, the violating users will be severely dealt with in accordance with the law.

It can be seen that there are some challenges and problems in socializing with friends, and we need to advocate healthy, balanced and meaningful socializing with friends.

When using social platforms, we can pay attention to the following points: first, maintain authenticity and integrity, and do not falsely shape our own image; second, pay attention to privacy protection and respect the privacy of others; third, pay attention to the quality rather than the quantity of interpersonal relationships, and cultivate meaningful communication and interaction; finally, maintain the importance of offline communication, participate more in actual face-to-face communication and social activities to balance online and offline social relationships.

In short, the ethics, values ​​and impact of social networking on interpersonal relationships require our deep reflection and proactive response. By advocating authenticity, integrity, privacy protection and meaningful social networking, we can maintain social ethics and maintain healthy, balanced and meaningful interpersonal relationships while socializing virtually.

References

[1] Just So Soul Research Institute, “2023 Young People’s Social Dating Report”

[2]Burke, M., & Kraut, R. (2014). The Relationship between Facebook Use and Well-Being Depends on Communication Type and Tie Strength. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(4), 265-281

[3] Peng Lan. (2019). Connection and anti-connection: the swing of Internet rules. International Journalism (02), 20-37.

Source: Tencent Media Research Institute