With the rapid rise of the Chinese short drama market, this type of short drama with "dog blood plot" of only a few minutes has gradually attracted the favor of a large number of middle-aged and elderly audiences and become a new favorite of the silver-haired generation for entertainment consumption. Aunt Xu, who has retired, is one of them. In addition to enjoying square dancing and outdoor activities, she also watches several episodes of short dramas on her mobile phone every day, and even learns to pay for them herself. This phenomenon not only makes the short drama market break through the scale of tens of billions, but also allows many people to see the strong demand for emotional resonance and entertainment consumption among the middle-aged and elderly groups.

"Dog blood plot" resonates, and short dramas become a new entertainment channel for the middle-aged and elderly

Short dramas are known for their exaggerated and compact plots: for example, a rural woman accidentally saves a rich girl and becomes the wife of the richest man; or an older woman flashes to marry a rich man and starts a tortuous love story with a domineering president. This kind of plot may seem cliché, but for some middle-aged and elderly audiences, it satisfies their emotional needs and life imagination. As a 70-year-old audience said, the theme of this kind of drama makes them feel that life is richer.

Yuan Yi, 40, has also joined the ranks of micro-short drama audiences. She said that although the plots of such short dramas are exaggerated, they have brought a sense of relief to her high-pressure work. She noticed that the protagonists and audience groups of micro-short dramas are gradually extending to middle-aged and elderly people. Her father has also become a loyal audience and even asks his children to help with payment. Such a change surprised the younger generation and further confirmed the diversified development trend of the micro-short drama market.

"Silver hair economy" boosts the 100 billion market, and the middle-aged and elderly groups have huge consumption potential

According to statistics from data analysis agencies such as iMedia Consulting, the scale of China's micro-short drama market in 2023 has reached nearly 40 billion yuan, and it is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan in the next few years. In particular, middle-aged and elderly users between the ages of 45 and 64 have become the main paying force in the micro-short drama market, accounting for 43% of the total users. After experiencing a period of economic growth, the retirement security and consumption capacity of the middle-aged and elderly groups in China are relatively strong, forming a market with huge potential.

Official data show that by the end of 2023, the elderly population over 60 years old in mainland China has reached 297 million, accounting for 21.1% of the total population. As the aging population intensifies, the consumption needs of China's elderly population will gradually shift from basic life to spiritual entertainment. The Chinese government is also actively promoting the "silver economy" and encouraging industries such as film and television, entertainment, etc. to develop content suitable for the elderly.

The profit model of micro-short dramas and the consumption habits of the silver-haired group

Micro-short dramas are usually presented in the form of short videos of 1 to 5 minutes, with fast plot development, attracting audiences to "catch up" and pay. This short, flat and fast consumption method caters to the leisure needs of the middle-aged and elderly groups. They have more free time to watch and are willing to pay small amounts for emotional resonance. Some popular micro-short dramas such as "Flash Marriage My Old Partner is a Wealthy Family" have obtained tens of millions of recharge income in a short period of time after going online, and their commercial potential should not be underestimated.

However, the rapidly developing micro-short drama market has also brought controversy, especially on the issue of "payment traps" for middle-aged and elderly users. Some micro-short drama platforms set up complex payment nodes during the playback process, and even enable the "password-free payment" function, which makes the elderly who are not familiar with mobile phone operations inadvertently pay high fees. In this regard, some industry insiders said that the "volume" of the micro-short drama industry is not only reflected in content production, but also in various payment settings and traffic competition. How to avoid charging traps while respecting the entertainment needs of middle-aged and elderly people has become an urgent problem to be solved in the micro-short drama industry.

Emotional needs of middle-aged and elderly audiences: Behind micro-short dramas is a kind of life sustenance

Expert analysis pointed out that the popularity of micro-short dramas is not only an entertainment phenomenon, but also reveals the needs of middle-aged and elderly people in China for emotions and a sense of belonging. After retirement, many elderly people hope to find resonance and sustenance through micro-short dramas and gain a sense of psychological satisfaction. Taking "Flash Marriage Partner is a Wealthy Family" as an example, this kind of dramatic plot reflects the middle-aged and elderly people's yearning for a better life and family warmth.

At the same time, micro-short dramas also allow middle-aged and elderly people to better integrate into modern society. After being exposed to micro-short dramas, silver-haired people like Aunt Xu feel that they understand modern life better and avoid the feeling of "disconnection". Micro-short dramas are not only entertainment products, but also a channel for middle-aged and elderly people to understand society and express themselves.

"Flow Logic" and Silver Content: The Way of Short Videos to Adapt to the Needs of the Silver

Professor Lin Jian of the Chinese University of Hong Kong pointed out that micro-short dramas follow the flow logic of the Internet and accurately capture the preferences of middle-aged and elderly users. In terms of content production, micro-short dramas emphasize emotional conflicts and reversals, and use "fast-paced, high-refreshing" content to firmly grasp the audience's attention. In addition to popular themes such as "flash marriage" and "domineering president", some micro-short drama manufacturers are also exploring new themes such as "revenge" and "time travel" to meet the diverse needs of the silver-haired people.

Industry insiders said that while maintaining content innovation, the micro-short drama industry also needs to explore a healthier and more sustainable business model to avoid quick success and homogenization. Many production companies have realized that micro-short dramas do not only rely on "fast-fading" plots to attract audiences, and the vitality of high-quality content cannot be ignored. In the future, this flow logic may promote micro-short dramas to become a more important part of China's cultural and entertainment market.

Build a digital entertainment ecosystem suitable for the silver-haired people

The popularity of micro-short dramas reveals an important fact: the demand for cultural consumption of China's huge silver-haired people cannot be ignored. In the face of the emotional needs and entertainment preferences of this group, the outbreak of short dramas has provided an innovative form of digital entertainment for an aging society. The two-way promotion of the government and the industry also provides a guarantee for the healthy development of the short drama market.

In the future, the short drama industry needs to make adjustments in content production, payment model and platform operation to better meet the growing entertainment needs of the elderly. As experts say, the silver-haired people are not just objects to be "harvested", but a consumer group with unique needs and values. Paying attention to the emotional appeals and lifestyles of middle-aged and elderly audiences will help the short drama industry go further in the "hundred-billion market" and bring more innovative opportunities to the Chinese entertainment market.