Round Table China The business of social anxiety
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Jan 26, 2026 Digital life is reshaping public behavior in China. The rise of curated solo dining and private booths turned loneliness into a trendy comfort. Businesses now profit from products and services designed for solitary customers. Tech, AI companions and self-service models are changing how people seek company and privacy in public spaces.
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Solo Dining Reframes Public Solitude
- Solo dining in China is reframed from shame to a curated luxury and social norm.
- This shift reflects broader comfort with solitude and changing cultural attitudes toward public isolation.
Personal Memory Of Awkward Solo Meals
- Steve recalls feeling awkward eating alone decades ago and dreading the wait for food.
- That personal memory illustrates how emotional responses to solo public activities have shifted.
Partitioned Solo Seats At McDonald's
- Fei Fei describes McDonald's solo seats with partitions dubbed 'protection screens against fake intimacy'.
- The design offers privacy so solo diners feel unseen and comfortable while eating.