06 Jan HuoRenGan: The Rise of Real Human Expression Online

Cover picture RED user @Shiyi

TCP identified a social buzz word “HuoRenGan” on social media mainly on RED. Adopting “HuoRenGan” attitude, Chinese netizens are reclaiming digital spaces for ‘real human’ expression, seeking for sincere, and genuine connections while rejecting AI perfection and ‘too fake’ personas.

What is “HuoRenGan” ?

“HuoRenGan” literally meaning ‘the feeling of a real, alive person’, has become one of the most popular and widely adopted attitude on Chinese social media. This term describes someone who looks natural, lively, human, and full of life. In an era shaped by algorithmic optimization and hyper-curated online identities, where social platforms promote idealized lifestyle templates, young netizens are pushing back against polished, staged, or artificial content and instead seek sincere, real emotions, genuine human connection.

Since August this year, HuoRenGan turned to a dominant lifestyle attitude that embraces imperfections, welcomes visible emotions, favors real gestures, rejects over-curated personas, and insists on the presence of real human beings behind the screen. RedNote influencers are leading the shift towards raw, lively, human-first content.

Photo of RED user @-19doublew and @Weiweiai

Netizens embrace celebrities’ HuoRenGan mindset

Celebrities helped push HuoRenGan into the mainstream simply by letting go of the “idol filter.” Shan Yichun is famous for her bold mental mindset and free spirit, embodying a sense of being truly alive through authenticity. Her presence conveys a state of clarity and inner strength which is calm yet resilient, showing that being true to oneself is what real vitality looks like today.

“Shan Yichun gives off such strong HuoRenGan, she’s so real and funny, like a friend you actually hang out with.”

Jin Jing and Wang Xingyue shared casual, lively photos from their travels or mountain hikes, blending in like real tourists rather than staged stars. Netizens react instantly, often saying these stars feel “just like a friend around you,” showing that today, closeness and relatability matter more than distance or perfection.

Photo of Jin Jing and Wang Xingyue

TAKE-AWAY:

HuoRenGan shows that influence today is no longer built on polish or aspiration, but on presence. For brands, winning attention now means feeling human: warm, energetic, approachable, and emotionally real.

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