People in China’s big cities feel lonely

BEIJING - An overwhelming majority of people living in China’s big cities feel lonely, overburdened and “extremely discontent” with their living conditions.

A survey conducted by China’s Fashion Health magazine polled 69,000 people across three major cities - Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen - of whom over 90 percent said they felt lonely living in big cities, the People’s Daily reported.

Some 40 percent blamed economic factors for feeling overburdened, while 35 percent said they were under pressure due to work and another 35 percent due to relationship problems.

Almost half of the respondents said they were unhappy with their living conditions, while a few said they were “extremely discontent”.

While around 50 percent said they were not satisfied with the money they make or save, 20 percent said they were extremely unsatisfied with their income.

Only a meagre three percent said they have saved enough money.

Of the respondents who face economic difficulties, more than half said apartment mortgage is their biggest burden.

When the respondents were asked whether they were satisfied with their emotional life, almost half of them said they weren’t.

Over 35 percent said the pressures of city life were keeping them from sleeping well at night, while 75 percent said they don’t know how to vent their frustration.

When faced with pressure, 55 percent said they take a nap or stay silent, 25 percent consult their families and friends and 22 percent said they “go out and have some fun”.

“China entered a post-industrial society, and in a post-industrial society, people tend to feel lonely and pressurised,” Peng Kaiping, head of the psychology department of Tsinghua University said, adding that the survey “should be taken seriously”.

However, Zhang Zhenyu, a professor at the Shanghai Psychological Society, felt the survey was not a true reflection of reality.

“I have been working on pressure control for years and I don’t think the problem has gotten so bad,” Zhang said. “I am not saying they cooked the figures, what I am saying is people tend to remember unpleasant experiences more vividly.”