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For months, Chinese social feeds have been filled with "Lao Ji" – a third-person way of saying "me." What began as a slang sign-off, "Love you, Lao Ji. See you tomorrow," now signals a broader shift toward self-care and emotional self-support. It also feeds a huge market where young consumers are rechanneling budgets toward small, meaningful purchases that support emotional well-being.

In this episode of Unboxing China, we trace how a casual phrase turned into a cultural movement, reshaping consumption and mental-health talk.

03:33

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The self-care economy explained: How emotional spending is reshaping consumer trends