In China, a meme recently took off on the video app Douyin (known as Tik Tok in other countries). It might very well make you miss your grandparents.
The meme’s hashtag—#四世同堂#—translates to “four generations under one roof.” The idea is simple: In each video, a young person appears then calls his or her mother or father, who in turn does the same, and so on until we’ve seen four generations.
Kassy Cho, a reporter for Buzzfeed News, recently described the trend and shared examples of it.
In response, internet users from other countries have created their own examples, some using the hashtag #FourGenerations on Twitter.
From Norway:
From India:
From Peru:
From Denmark:
Some shared their family photos and pointed out the privilege of having four generations living together.
The videos have been well received in China, with commenters celebrating their wholesomeness.
In China, it’s still quite common for elderly Chinese to live with their children (and grandchildren) in the same house or apartment. Four generations under one roof is increasingly rare, though, and getting them together usually takes a special occasion, such as a holiday or birthday.
In Western societies, it’s less common for the elderly to live with their children. Often they are sent to nursing homes when they can no longer live independently. But China, with its large, aging population, could soon face challenges of its own caring for senior citizens. Mounting concerns about that could be one reason for the meme gaining traction.