Delivery riders win support and empathy amidst COVID-19 pandemic by sharing experiences on Kuaishou

BEIJING, April 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Video platforms such as Kuaishou have made a difference humanizing less glamourous professions through this pandemic. Through viewing lives from another perspective, people have realized the importance of cleaners, hawkers and of course, riders.

Gao Zhixiao, 32, a Bejing delivery rider, knows firsthand the tensions and pressures of riding daily in a big metropolitan city. Selected for the cover of this month's Time Magazine cover, Gao shot to fame by documenting his life on Kuaishou, showing the public what delivery riders go through to bring their food, and other times daily necessities, to their doorstep.

In his videos, Gao shares lessons and anecdotes for people to discuss and ponder. For example, Gao's Kuaishou viewers learn about the measures that riders have to take before embarking on their deliveries. We also learn that he doesn't just deliver food, but also daily items such as snacks and drinks, to larger items such as 25kg bags of rice and flour, cooking oil and huge bottles of drinking water.

Gao shares not only his life on Kuaishou, but also the lives of those he meets. He helped an old lady suffering from diabetes to get her medicine, and also helped her cook a meal and take out the garbage; he also sent a phone charger to a COVID-19 patient at the hospital. "I could even hear the virus landing on my clothes," Gao said, standing outside the quarantine area of the hospital and looking at the armed doctors inside. 

These humanizing stories have resulted in recognition and greater empathy for gig economy workers, earning them official recognition and state benefits in the form of housing, insurance and legal protection. Kuaishou has also given the spotlight to such creators, allowing them to expand their viewer base and gain more fans.

About Kuaishou:

Kuaishou provides a video-sharing social networking service, allowing users to create and share videos with a full array of resources to assist in the creative process. It's an interactive community of videos that lets you connect with friends and Internet users through posts, likes and comments. The app is available on iOS and Android.

SOURCE Kuaishou Technology