Chinese Parents Pressure Children to Marry Using
AI Deepfake Videos Depicting Unmarried Women's Regret
Criticism Grows: "Fueling Conflict Between Married and Unmarried"
In China, an increasing number of parents are sharing artificial intelligence (AI) videos depicting women who regret choosing not to get married with their children, urging them to marry. As marriage and childbirth rates plummet, a new form of generational conflict is emerging, fueled by AI technology.
Unmarried Women Crying in Hospitals... Revealed as AI Videos Used to Pressure Marriage
On December 29, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that, recently, AI-generated videos featuring middle-aged unmarried women crying in hospitals have been spreading, especially among the parent generation, on Chinese social networking services (SNS). These videos prominently highlight “regret over choosing not to marry or have children” and are being used as a tool to pressure younger generations into marriage.
In one video, a 58-year-old woman says, “I am now paying the price for not getting married when I was young,” and adds, “It feels even more miserable to go to the hospital alone.” In another video, a 56-year-old woman sheds tears, saying, “I resent myself for finding it annoying when my parents told me to get married.” Scenes repeatedly show a middle-aged woman without children looking at the next hospital bed, where a family is visiting, and lamenting, “I regret choosing to be part of the DINK (Dual Income, No Kids) group.”
Parents Call Them ‘Educational Materials’... Young People Push Back
Although these videos are labeled as “AI-generated content,” this has not slowed their spread. Among parents with unmarried children, reactions such as “real-world education for young people who are not thinking straight” and “materials showing the fate of lifelong singles” are common.
In contrast, the younger generation’s response is cold. Young people argue, “There is no reason for an unmarried woman in her 50s to look so old and miserable,” and “Marriage and childrearing actually drain women’s health and energy.” Some express concern, saying, “My parents believe these videos are real and send them to me,” and “I worry they are more easily exposed to AI scams or misinformation.” One user pointed out, “These videos inject anxiety into unmarried women and deliberately stoke conflict between married and unmarried people,” adding, “There is no single right way to live.”
Generational Conflict Deepens Amid Plummeting Marriage Rates
SCMP analyzed that this phenomenon is appearing alongside the sharp decline in marriage rates in China. Last year, China recorded the lowest number of marriages since 1980, with only 6.1 million couples registering their marriage. Rising housing costs, unstable employment, and the growing value placed on personal life have made it increasingly common for younger generations to postpone or forgo marriage and childbirth.
The outlet reported that the traditional view among parents that marriage and children are “essential for happiness” is clashing with the youth’s preference for a single-centered lifestyle, deepening generational conflict. Some young people are even choosing to distance themselves from their families to avoid pressure related to marriage.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
