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S’pore Influencer Cried While Seeing Old People Having Meals Alone

2022-11-25 , 2:23 pm

In a TikTok video, local influencer Shannon Taylor showed her and her friend crying after seeing elderly people eating alone in a Tokyo restaurant.

@shannontaylortwP sure everyone there was judging us😫 I love old people😫♬ original sound – shannontaylortw

“POV: You put two empaths together in a restaurant full of old people eating alone,” she wrote.

In the video, she was dabbing their eyes with tissues while her friend rubbed her eyes with her hand.

“I’m actually sorry,” her friend said.

The camera was then panned to the other customers in the restaurant, most of which were elderly and eating alone at individual tables or in eating booths.

Shannon shared with AsiaOne that she has a soft spot for the elderly, and she often finds herself feeling sad whenever she sees them sitting alone or working in Singapore.

“When I see elderly people around, they remind me of him and I get extremely heartbroken,” Shannon said, referring to her grandfather who passed away last year.

Many responded by showing their sympathies, saying that they too would tear up.

On the other hand, some commented that the elderly diners might have enjoyed themselves. Some users commented that they themselves enjoy eating alone, and the TikTok was somewhat insulting.

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Japan’s “Super Solo” Culture

A decade ago, many Japanese were embarrassed to be seen eating alone that they’d sometimes opt to eat in a bathroom stall, leading to what became known as “benjo meshi” – taking a “toilet lunch”.

However, now, there are more people doing things alone, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

BBC explained that a reason for this is Japan’s undergoing a seismic demographic shift, where the birthrate is falling, and the number of single-person households is rising.

Many enjoy the peace and privacy of doing things by themselves. After a hectic day, many want to unwind and calm down, making solo activities perfect for them.

This appears to be the case in Singapore, too. Just take a look around any Singapore hawker centre and you get the idea.

S’pore Influencer Cried While Seeing Old People Having Meals Alone

Japan’s “Super Solo” Culture

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