2 hours ago · China
‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults
What's happening
SignalsMonitor is following this as a markets story. The Guardian UK is the outlet attached so far. The reports are tied to China. The first report grouped here was at 26 Oct 2026, 09:47 UTC. The headline in use is “‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults”. This note is SignalsMonitor's own briefing, not the publisher's article.
What we know
Faced with a stagnant jobs market, many are spurning children or pets in favour of ‘raising bricks’ Young adults in China looking for a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having children or pets have found an answer: raising bricks. Bricks may not be as cuddly as cats or as life-affirming as…
Story timeline
Reports grouped into this story, earliest first. Exact repeats from the same outlet are collapsed.
- First reported by The Guardian UK
‘Zero-energy companionship’: bizarre hobby takes seed among China’s stressed young adults
Reported by 1 outlet
- The Guardian