家人们

Picture a livestreamer leaning into the camera and addressing their audience as 'fam' — that's 家人们 in a nutshell. Originally a term for family members, it was hijacked by Chinese streamers and influencers to greet viewers with manufactured warmth, implying 'we're all one big family here.' It spread beyond livestreams into everyday speech, often used ironically when someone is about to share gossip, a hot take, or a humble brag dressed up as relatable struggle.

China's livestreaming boom of the early 2020s turned platforms like Douyin and Taobao Live into massive commercial and social spaces. Hosts needed to build instant parasocial intimacy with millions of strangers to drive engagement and purchases. Calling viewers 家人们 was a soft-power trick that flattened the transactional nature of the relationship, making audiences feel seen — and more likely to hit that donation button.

网络主播或博主对粉丝的亲切称呼，拉近与观众距离，制造家庭归属感。