China's social media platform WeChat was abuzz on Saturday and Sunday with people posting photographs of themselves aged 18.
The trend showed many Chinese readying themselves for 2018 in nostalgic mood. But why 18?
Because, it is said, the youngest members of China’s 90s generation, those born on Dec.31, 1999, officially attain adulthood on New Year's Eve.
For some, this milestone suggests a generational shift.
"Now the stage has been set for the post-00s generation," said an Internet user.
For many, posting the old photos was not just a coming-of-age party, but an occasion to lament the passing of time. "I was young and chubby. Now I am old and thin. I would rather exchange the lost weight for the lost time," said one wistful WeChat user.
WeChat has a social-networking function called "Friend's Circle," similar to Facebook's "Timeline," encouraging users to share their moments with texts, photos and mini-videos. Users may also subscribe to public media accounts, organizations and companies for newsletters.
User dependency cultivated through such well-received free services makes WeChat a golden platform to deliver news and ads, as well as to conduct e-commerce business.
WeChat, a mobile messaging app and the most popular chat app developed by Internet giant Tencent, has gained 902 million active users living in or outside China since it was launched six years ago.
