Online care business arouses debate,Yunnan Adventure Travel

Online care business arouses debate

A growing number of elderly care services are being registered on Taobao.com, one of China's largest online shopping sites.

These Taobao stores offer visits to the elderly parents of customers, with the option of buying their groceries for them or even just having a chat. The extent to which this commercial service could replace filial piety has become a hot debate topic in Chinese society.

More than 100 new online elderly care service providers have been registered since a Chinese law requiring family members to visit their aging parents regularly came into effect. The amended Law for the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly came into force on July 1.

Such services offer an alternative for young Chinese people to carry out their filial duties when they are too busy to visit their elderly relatives. The costs of the services range from 10 to 2,000 yuan.

However, Sun Chunchen, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, doubts the market potential for this new business, saying that filial piety cannot be commercially traded.

"Some see visiting elderly people on their busy children's behalf as a profit-making business opportunity. However, we shall wait and see whether this new business can win a market. In my opinion, filial piety is an ethical value that interacts with emotions based on blood ties and family affection. Filial piety is not and will never be a trade."

In fact, most of the online care businesses were met with no trade at all. According to one such store owner, many people are inquiring into the details of the business, but not many of them made an order; the owner will continue to wait patiently for business.

Tours

10 Days Yunnan Birding Tour

Summary Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangrila

Summary on request

10 Days Yunnan Birding Tour

Summary Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangrila

Summary on request

TRAVEL NEWSLETTER