Fashion: Why Gen Z is faking maternity photos instead of having kids
- InsightTrendsWorld
- Mar 30
- 6 min read
Why It’s Trending
• Young Chinese, influenced by social media and influencer culture, are increasingly staging “pre-made” maternity photos to capture idealized life moments rather than pursuing traditional parenthood.
• The trend capitalizes on the romanticization of life milestones even as practical concerns (high child-rearing costs, financial uncertainty, and reduced interest in marriage) push real family formation to the background.
• Viral content from influencers like Meizi Gege has propelled the trend across platforms, sparking both admiration and criticism, and igniting conversations about societal expectations and gender roles.
Overview
The article discusses a rising trend among Gen Z in China where women stage maternity photos with fake baby bumps. This trend, part of a broader movement of “pre-made moments,” reflects a desire to curate an idealized life image even as economic pressures, high child-rearing costs, and declining marriage rates discourage actual parenthood. Government measures such as childcare subsidies aim to reverse population decline, yet many young people continue to opt for simulated milestones over real-life commitments.
Detailed Findings
• Influencer Impact: Popularized by Gen Z influencer Meizi Gege, the trend has spread widely on platforms like Xiaohongshu.
• Social Media Narrative: The idea of “shooting premade moments for a pre-made life” is used to create a visually appealing lifestyle without the real-life consequences of starting a family.
• Economic and Social Factors:
High costs of raising a child (with expenses far exceeding GDP per capita) discourage real parenthood.
The significant drop in marriages and financial uncertainty (e.g., high youth unemployment) contribute to delaying family formation.
• Gender Dynamics: Women, in particular, face high opportunity costs and reduced working hours when they have children, further incentivizing the choice to simulate rather than actualize motherhood.
• Government Response: Beijing’s rollout of cash incentives and childcare subsidies has had limited impact on reversing the trend, as many young consumers remain disillusioned with traditional family models.
Key Takeaway
Gen Z in China is embracing a “pre-made life” aesthetic by faking maternity photos to capture the fantasy of parenthood while sidestepping the economic and social challenges of real family life. This trend reveals deep-seated cultural shifts away from traditional markers of adulthood.
Main Trend
Name: Premade Life Aesthetics
Description: A cultural shift where young consumers stage life milestones—such as maternity—to create an idealized digital persona, rather than living out these milestones in reality.
Consumer Motivation
• The desire to achieve and display an aspirational lifestyle without incurring the burdens of actual parenthood.
• The need for social validation and status through curated, visually striking images shared online.
• A way to experience and celebrate traditional life milestones symbolically while avoiding economic and personal trade-offs.
Drivers of the Trend
• High costs of child-rearing and financial uncertainties deter real family formation.
• Changing social norms where marriage and parenthood are no longer seen as obligatory milestones.
• The influence of social media and digital storytelling, which valorize “perfect” life moments over genuine experiences.
Motivation Beyond the Trend
Beyond the surface-level aesthetics, this trend reflects a deeper yearning for control over one’s image and destiny in an unpredictable economic climate. It signifies a shift toward prioritizing personal fulfillment and self-expression over conventional societal expectations.
Consumer Profile
• Age: Predominantly 18–34, with a strong representation of Gen Z.
• Gender: Primarily female, although the phenomenon is part of broader lifestyle discussions among young people.
• Income: Middle-income bracket; these consumers often face financial constraints that make traditional family formation seem daunting.
• Lifestyle: Digitally native, fashion‑ and image‑conscious, and socially active; they value curated online personas and are influenced by influencer culture.
Conclusions
The trend of faking maternity photos underscores a significant cultural shift among China’s younger generation. Rather than following traditional life paths like marriage and parenthood, many Gen Z consumers prefer to project an idealized version of themselves online. This shift is driven by economic pressures, changing social norms, and the powerful influence of digital media.
Implications for Brands
• Brands in lifestyle, beauty, and photography sectors can tap into this trend by offering services and products that help consumers create and share idealized life moments.
• Marketers should be sensitive to the social commentary inherent in the trend, positioning offerings in a way that celebrates self-expression while acknowledging the underlying economic and social challenges.
• There is an opportunity to develop campaigns that blend real-life support (like childcare products) with aspirational imagery, striking a balance between fantasy and reality.
Implications for Society
• The trend raises questions about societal values and the pressure to conform to idealized digital images.
• It may contribute to a further devaluation of traditional family structures, impacting long-term demographic and social dynamics.
• The disconnect between digital idealization and lived reality could spur debates on mental health and social expectations.
Implications for Consumers
• Consumers enjoy the flexibility of curating an idealized digital presence without the immediate commitments of family life.
• However, the trend may also reinforce unrealistic standards and add pressure to maintain a perfect online image.
• It highlights a growing need for authenticity and balanced representations of life milestones.
Implication for Future
• The continued evolution of digital self-expression may further blur the lines between reality and curated content, influencing life choices and societal expectations.
• Future policies and market offerings may need to address not only economic challenges but also the cultural shifts in how young people perceive life milestones.
Consumer Trend
Name: Digital Idealism
Description: A trend where consumers use digital platforms to craft and share idealized versions of their lives, prioritizing aspirational imagery over real-life experiences.
Consumer Sub‑Trend
Name: Pre-Made Life Moments
Description: Young consumers stage significant life events, such as maternity, in advance to project an ideal lifestyle, even if these events are not reflective of their actual plans or realities.
Big Social Trend
Name: Redefining Milestones
Description: Society is increasingly questioning traditional markers of adulthood (like marriage and parenthood) and embracing alternative expressions of identity and fulfillment.
Worldwide Social Trend
Name: Curated Life Narratives
Description: Globally, digital platforms empower individuals to create and share polished, idealized versions of their lives, influencing perceptions of success and happiness.
Social Drive
Name: Aspirational Self-Expression
Description: The drive to achieve social recognition and validation through the curated presentation of an ideal life, fueled by social media and influencer culture.
Learnings for Brands to Use in 2025
• Develop digital tools and services that enable consumers to create high-quality, curated images and videos that capture their “pre-made” moments.
• Explore collaborations with influencers who embody the pre-made life aesthetic to authenticate product messaging.
• Innovate in sectors like beauty, fashion, and lifestyle photography to offer packages tailored to creating aspirational content.
• Use data analytics to understand emerging trends in digital self-expression and adjust marketing strategies accordingly.
Strategy Recommendations for Brands in 2025
• Create interactive campaigns that allow consumers to customize and share their idealized life moments (e.g., augmented reality maternity shoots).
• Leverage social media platforms to launch challenges and contests that celebrate creative self-expression and “pre-made” aesthetics.
• Partner with digital influencers and content creators to co-develop products or services that cater to the desire for aspirational imagery.
• Incorporate elements of authenticity by highlighting both the curated and real aspects of life, fostering a balanced narrative.
Key Concept
Premade Life Aesthetics encapsulate how Gen Z is using digital storytelling to simulate ideal life milestones, blending fantasy with self-expression amid economic and social pressures.
What Brands & Companies Should Do in 2025
• Invest in digital and experiential platforms that help consumers create and share curated life moments.• Launch product lines and services that cater to the pre-made life narrative—such as photo shoots, editing tools, and influencer collaborations.• Integrate social causes and authentic messaging to bridge the gap between aspiration and reality, resonating with a generation facing economic constraints.
Final Note
• Core Trend: Premade Life Aesthetics — The growing trend of staging idealized life milestones digitally, rather than pursuing traditional markers like parenthood.
• Core Strategy: Authentic Curated Experiences — Combining digital tools with authentic storytelling to enable consumers to craft and share aspirational yet relatable life narratives.
• Core Industry Trend: Digital Self‑Expression Evolution — The transformation of consumer behavior driven by the need to curate an idealized online persona in a rapidly changing socio‑economic landscape.
• Core Consumer Motivation: Aspirational Self-Expression — The drive to achieve social validation and a sense of identity through curated, shareable images that reflect an idealized lifestyle.
• Final Conclusion: The rise of premade maternity photos among Gen Z underscores a profound cultural shift: in an era marked by economic uncertainty and evolving social norms, young people prefer to craft idealized narratives over embracing traditional life milestones.
• Core Trend Detailed: Premade Life Aesthetics represents the convergence of digital empowerment and evolving cultural values. It is a trend where young consumers use sophisticated digital tools and social media to simulate significant life events (like maternity) as a form of self-expression and social validation. This phenomenon is driven by economic pressures, shifting attitudes toward marriage and parenthood, and the desire to maintain a polished, aspirational image in an increasingly competitive digital world.
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