Pebbles with a nose, a mouth, eyes, dressed in outfits and which live in a small nest: simple stones play the role of “pets” for certain young people in China.
An emerging trend in several Asian countries involves the use of stones as pets to combat loneliness and lack of affection, the Singapore daily reported Lianhe Zaobao.
Younger generations have taken a liking to giving personality to rocks which now become their new daily friends.
Some dress them up, put glasses or makeup on them and sometimes even give them a name and date of birth.
On social media, young people are sharing tips on how to best care for their stones, including giving them a bubble bath and not insulting them.
Others decorate their rocks and share the result on TikTok.
Blogger Xiao Wang notes that these young people adopt rocks since they are more financially accessible than cats or dogs. Not only do these stones cost less to maintain, but they are also useful for satisfying emotional needs.
Last March, Business Insider reported that rocks were being used in a similar way by adults in South Korea as a way to alleviate the loneliness and burnout that is rampant in the Asian country.
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