As the Chinese New Year of Dragon ends, working people are gradually returning to their regular routines. However, the young generation seems reluctant to bid farewell to the festival. They replace traditional couplets with digital devices, substitute large gift boxes with online gifts, and swap paper red envelopes with WeChat red envelope covers. Even the exchange of New Year greetings has taken a digital turn, with the use of stickers instead of traditional expressions.
The conventional notion of New Year goods has undergone a redefinition. Today, celebrating the New Year involves more than just traditional items like food materials for cooking delicacies. Young people have embraced a new trend known as "electronic New Year goods."
For the younger generation, visiting relatives and friends no longer holds the same priority. Apart from necessary visits, they prefer staying at home, creating an entirely new holiday atmosphere on their electronic devices.
What are "electronic New Year goods"?They refer to virtual products that provide a festive emotional value during the Chinese New Year, such as New Year red envelope covers, themed wallpapers on smartphones, greeting stickers, blessing card collections, membership cardsofvideo platforms, and so on.
The popularity of electronic New Year goods goes beyond mere novelty and convenience. Most importantly, these virtual products enable the young generation to fulfill their desire for private space and personal demands in the face of tedious and stressful social activities.
Qiuzi thinks that the Chinese New Year holiday is a golden time for everyone to relax and reward themselves, and electronic New Year goods provide young people with a unique way of celebration.
"When my parents buy traditional New Year goods such as delicious food or decorations, they are usually shared by the whole family. But the electronic New Year goods are purely for me. I won't tell my family about buying games or membership cards. It's a way to award myself during the New Year, for a year of hard work. Perhaps our generation is just adept at self-rewarding, which is why electronic New Year goods are so popular."
Hu Jia believes that electronic New Year goods offer her more freedom during the festival. "If a particular online game or event doesn't meet expectations, I can just leave. If I don't want to receive a red envelope, or if I'm not willing to give red envelopes, I can choose not to do so online. But real-life New Year visits are not as easy to avoid or escape from."
Perhaps, the unique way of celebrating the New Year among the younger generation is the symbol of technological progress, whether it's setting off virtual fireworks in a game, sharing stickers on social media, or sending and receiving red envelopes with different covers online. Different ways do not necessarily mean less involvement and enjoyment of the festival.
While savoring the traditional New Year goods at home, young people also delight in the electronic New Year goods, creating a different atmosphere for the New Year. They seamlessly navigate between the realms of reality and the virtual world, discovering a "double joy."
Source :Yangcheng Evening News
