If a tiger is going to bite you, will you ask for help?
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with While the survey was based on self-perception, a medical study published in scientific journal PLOS One in 2020 also suggested that the rates of social anxiety symptoms among young people in seven countries, including China, are increasing.
Huang Jing, a psychologist based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, eastern China, said wider social media usage and improved digital connectivity were major reasons for increased social anxiety. “I can be very talkative online, but when meeting people offline, I become shy, not knowing what to say,” she said, “maybe it’s because it’s safer to communicate with people online, at least you’re invisible.”
Despite the growing prevalence of the disorder, she believed the phrase is misused among people online.