At lunchtime, Sha Jinyuan, 22, sent a WeChat message to her meal partner, or fandazi, asking:"What to cat?" After her partner replied with "don't know", Sha said, "Let's just go!" This conversation resulted in the pair meeting and finding a place to eat together. Sha and her partner Wu Hao, 21, arc an example of a form of socializing that is popular with young Chinese who are not necessarily friends. Rather, they are dazi, or activity partners for specific pursuits.
The term"dazi" has become especially popular online, with many social media users posting their requirements as they seek partners who share similar interests with themselves. The Shanghai Dialect Dictionary published in 2007 defines dazi as"those who play cards together, or are partners in extension". However, dazi now refers to a new kind of social connection with the aim of pursuing shared interests, rather than yielding to (迁就) each other to develop lasting friendships.
Early last month, a study of 1,335 young people conducted by China Youth Daily's social survey center and online survey platform wenjuan.com found that 72.6 percent said they had one or more dazi. Nearly 69 percent of the young people surveyed believe that finding a dazi is a brave step in moving out of their comfort zone to seek a new form of social interaction.
Xu Kun, an expert at the 12355 hotline for youth psychological counseling and legal aid in Dalian, said: "Young people enjoy doing things together. Unlike relationships with colleagues and friends, those with a dazi are temporary and almost superficial. With less responsibility and pressure,the two people concerned get along more easily."
Some netizens believe that a dazi relationship can be compared with a"fast food friendship", which is not high in nutritional value, but filling and convenient. However, with fast food there is always the risk of it"causing upset stomachs". Other problems exist between dazi. Some people book a table at a restaurant, but their meal dazi fails to show up because he or she does not like their partner's appearance.
