Idol worship hits fresh highs as new generation rises

Ma Zihan, a 19-year-old student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, feels the same way. "Even though some people criticize us as suffering from 'brain damage' as fans, chasing idols is definitely very satisfying," she said.

Their thoughts are also reflective of the business perspective, according to Ding Jie, CEO of fan services app Owhat, who said the needs of fans are not well understood.

"The media today totally do not understand the new generation of young people," she said."The people managing the media were born in the 1970s and '80s. They do not understand how to satisfy the consumption habits, needs and minds of young girls."

Unlike pop stars from a generation or two before, the interaction between idols and their fans has significantly increased through social media. In China, the use of micro blogs has narrowed the gap between idols and fans, helping to push forward closer communication between them and changing the fans' expectations of their idols.

They eagerly await selfies, music video teasers, magazine photo shoots and daily updates from their idols' micro blogs.

As almost every idol has his or her own official account, Ding said fans will directly ask them for updates on their work or songs by leaving messages on their page.

Ding added that with constant communication being a key part in the idol-fan relationship, idols are like fast-moving consumer goods. That means they have to continually update their social media accounts by showing different sides of themselves and producing works of value to give fans reasons to continue to like them. If not, their fame can be very short lived.

"Fans have high demands and expectations of their idols or bands, because fans know how to appreciate," Ding said. "What they see on the web are world-class stars, not just Chinese stars, and fans will compare them.

"They only choose what they feel is a better thing. They don't say that they only like Korean stars or Western stars. If the quality of Chinese idols improves, I believe (more) fans will also like Chinese idols."

Rise of the idols

Chinese fans have supported singers and stars from South Korea, Japan and Western countries for several years. However, after homegrown boy band TFBoys emerged in 2013, fan support began to shift from foreign stars to local performers. Ding considers this the first wave of China's idols.

"The emergence of the domestic fan economy and new idol industry mentality came at the time TFBoys started becoming popular and Exo's Chinese members returned to the country," Ding said. Exo is a popular boy band that used to have South Korean and Chinese members, but is now exclusively Korean.

In the five years since Ding started her business, she has seen fan support move from South Korean stars in 2014 to Chinese idols in 2016. As Cai Xukun and a new bunch of idols burst onto the entertainment scene last year through talent survival programs, their appearance marked the second wave of idols making a stir in the fan industry.

Owhat has also seen fan activities grow in favor of homegrown stars, from 30 percent when its operations began in 2014 to about 60 percent currently, reversing the popularity foreign stars once enjoyed in China.