Zhang has long battled anxiety over school and work, and has struggled to form deep friendships with other people.

Chinese youth turned ... “Now, children in cities seem to be under a lot more pressure, so they may lack friends,” he explained. The rise of AI pets is not limited to teenagers.

(Also read: US woman finds long-lost Chinese classmate in 22 ... s customers are families with young children. Despite the growing popularity of AI pets, some, like Guo, remain sceptical about ...