Photo from media reports

The latest pet craze sweeping the younger generation in China is different from what people expected, as stones become the beloved companions of the Generation Z. The topic of “pet stones” has amassed up to 2.4 million online views across Chinese social media platforms.

Youngsters are not just adopting stones as pets, but are also dressing them up and applying cream to them, which also become a popular topic on China’s X-like platform Sina Weibo. Many netizens are showcasing their creativity by naming their pet stones, some even adorning them with eye stickers, outfits, and even glasses.

评论区有不少网友晒出自家石头的照片和日常，他们不仅给宠物石头起名字，在宠物石头上贴上眼睛，置办小窝，还给石头穿上衣服、戴上眼镜、擦护肤品。

Some netizens commented that stones are low-maintenance companions that never cause trouble, require no care or feeding, and silently “listen” to all your secrets, making them a good choice for pets, though some of the young claim stones cannot provide emotional comfort. 

对于这种现象，有网友化身课代表总结：“性价比极高”。不惹麻烦，不需要照顾和喂养，默默“倾听”你的烦恼，是宠物的好选择，尽管一些网友也认为石头不能提供情感安慰。

In August, the sales of pet stones in China’s e-commerce platform Taobao.com increased by 246 percent compared with a month ago, according to media reports, with the target group mainly younger people. In addition to the pet stones, related clothing, containers and other peripheral commodities are also selling well on the market. 

据悉，今年以来，淘宝上被认养的宠物石越来越多。8月，宠物石销量环比上月增长246%，成交人群主要是“95后”到“00后”，集中在上海，约8成的消费者为女性。除了宠物石本身，甚至还延伸出了宠物石的水乳、服饰、别墅小窝等周边商品。

Source: Global Times

Editor:ChenDawei

Senior Editor:MinJie