According to a survey by China's official state-run media Xinhua News Agency, for about 54% of young people born after 1995, the new dream job is online celebrity. Young people have grown up in a world where beautiful people who post photos online can convert traffic into revenue. Even for those with other career plans, studies have shown that perceived attractiveness helps candidates land job interviews.
In 2018, China’s cosmetic surgery market exceeded US$121.7bn. 18.81% of plastic surgery customers are below age 19, and 40.1% are aged 20 to 25.
Parental support has contributed to the increase in Gen Z plastic surgery procedures. "Many mothers offer to pay for their daughter's double eyelid surgery as a college graduation gift," said Zhao Hongyi, director of the cosmetic surgery department at Beijing Hospital.
Since apps and O2O platforms for medical aesthetic services made their debut in 2012 and 2013, VCs