Public canoodling faces divergent opinions
- By Hu Siru and Wang Jiaquan
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, August 11, 2015
Kissing selfies
Before they left, the couple took kissing selfies in the office and posted on the woman's social media account, which other users called an act of "revenge." The woman ridiculed PDA critics as "jealous uncles and aunties."
Professor Liu Neng, a sociologist at Peking University, said that people's ideas about PDA have changed with the times and different generations define proper behavior differently.
"There is no doubt that Chinese are more open than before," Liu said. "People now tend to express their affection rather than suppressing it. That's not bad for mental health."
Liu argued that people's attitudes toward PDA reflect how tolerant and liberal a society is.
"Media play a great role in exposing extreme PDA cases to stir a sensation, which creates the illusion that young couples are crossing the line," Liu said. "Extreme PDA cases are not common in the country, and most people can control their behavior in public."
Li, the Peking University student, supports the more relaxed attitude towards public intimacy. "A more open culture creates an atmosphere for us to display our affection. When something interesting happens between my boyfriend and me, I like to show our affection on my Weibo and WeChat," Li said.
By displaying their affection on social media, Li said, she wants to share their happiness with social connections.
Liu said PDA is a kind of ceremony and a way to announce the establishment of a relationship, have it witnessed by friends, and to keep a record. "It works as a direct and convenient commitment to the relationship," Liu said.
Businesses are even turning young people's PDA into opportunities.
An online competition sponsored by a solar water heater manufacturer asked Internet users to send in pictures of their best romantic moments as part of a viral publicity campaign. The winners were awarded a trip to Milan, Italy, where the company is sponsoring the Chinese Pavilion at the World Expo.
Although attitudes are changing about PDA, many online onlookers still roll their eyes at frequent shows of intimacy between couples on Weibo or WeChat.
As one warning goes: The more you show your affection, the faster you will break up, which Liu said is not just a joke. "When exposed, a relationship will receive more external attention, interruption and pressure from family, friends and other relatives, and any negative influence from outside the relationship may directly result in a break-up," Liu said.
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