BEIJING: A 60-year-old woman in southern China has defied public stereotypes surrounding senior citizens by becoming a popular e-game live-streamer.
Zhong Juanjuan, affectionately known as Auntie Juan by internet users, has amassed 527,000 followers on social media.
She hosts two daily live-streaming sessions, each typically attracting around 10,000 viewers, as reported by Beijing News.
Zhong, who lives in a suburban area of Meizhou in Guangdong province, only began playing computer games six years ago.
Before that, she held various part-time jobs, including sales and childcare, due to her limited educational background, having only completed primary school. She retired about 10 years ago, according to the report.
Once, Zhong viewed e-games as a foe to her family. Two decades ago, when her younger son was a secondary school student, he became addicted to gaming, which resulted in a significant drop in his grades.
She recollects the many times she visited local internet cafes in search of her son, often dragging him out by force. This led to a prolonged feud between them regarding his gaming hobby.
In 2020, Zhong developed an interest in e-games when she observed her son, known as Suode, spending long hours gaming at home after leaving his job. Curious about what fascinated him so much, she decided to explore this world herself.
Suode was surprised by his mother’s new-found enthusiasm but patiently taught her how to play. Unsurprisingly, Zhong struggled, grappling with her declining vision and slower reaction time.
Suode noted that in the initial days, his mother had difficulty moving in a straight line within the game world, turning around upon hitting walls, or climbing stairs.
However, Zhong, who refused to give up, dedicated herself to relentless practice.
Feeling confident in her gaming abilities, Zhong began live-streaming in 2022.
Viewers were delighted to discover that she, looking like an ordinary rural grandmother using basic live-streaming equipment, played remarkably well, often employing gaming terminology specific to younger players.
To date, Zhong has amassed over 8,000 hours of gameplay, specialising in shooting games.
Her rise to fame came in December 2024 when she was invited to participate in an online exhibition match for the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).
Her competition included a 17-year-old Russian prodigy known by his alias “donk”, a world champion just before their match. In a surprising twist, Zhong managed to eliminate him in the game.
Over the years, Zhong has faced scepticism. Some internet users questioned whether a younger individual was secretly playing on her behalf.
To dispel these doubts, Suode set up multiple cameras to film his mother from different angles while she engaged in gameplay.
While some criticised her passion at her age, Zhong responded, stating: “As a mother, should I only be relegated to household chores?”
Now, Zhong’s son serves as her full-time agent, and their roles have reversed from two decades ago: the mother dedicates significant time to gaming, while the son ensures the internet is turned off at midnight each day to prevent her from playing too late into the night.
Zhong expressed pride in having been recognised at a wet market by a middle-aged man who told her: “Auntie Juan, I saw you playing games on social media.”
“Many say that women of a certain age should take care of their grandchildren or join square dancing. But gaming sharpens the brain and enhances hand-eye coordination. Isn’t that better than idling around?” Zhong argued.
“It is never too late to start learning something new.” - South China Morning Post
