A Decade of WeChat.

According to insight gained from a big data research project by Liepin [China’s largest online job posting and headhunting site] titled "Post-90s Workplace Insight Report 2020," nearly 50 percent of the post-90s generation have side jobs. Among the post-90s crowd who have started some sort of side hustle, the highest proportion are in WeChat businesses, freelance writing, purchasing, design, and home tutoring. With the COVID-19 epidemic keeping the vast majority of people at home, many people have begun to seek out ways to earn some extra cash and various WeChat online courses have sprung up that teach people new skills. There are many things to be wary of in these online classes however, and questions remain as to how many people can learn a skill from them and actually make extra money. We chatted with some WeChat online class students, teaching assistants, and teachers to find out.

WeChat red envelopes are a social lubricant that apply to all relationships and any scenario. They help users to express emotions using a swipe of their fingers, send a red envelope to buy attention, and "get something for nothing" by staring at a screen. This idea is in line with the modern Internet way of thinking––a modern civilization that esteems all that is "short frequency and fast."

WeChat, which is considered to be the most heavily scrutinized social platform under the watchful eye of "big brother," is highly active among netizens with liberal ideals. In order to exchange ideas, they establish groups in quick succession right under the nose of the cyber police in order to discuss various social issues and even certain taboo topics. How do they maintain this type of discussion in such a precarious place, and why can't they just leave WeChat and go to a safer social media platform? We chatted with a group of friends dancing on a razor’s edge.