崩老头

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Chinese

Pronunciation

Pinyin: bēng lǎo tóu
Tones: 1st–3rd–2nd

Etymology

Compound of:

崩 (bēng) – "to collapse; to burst; to break down"
老 (lǎo) – "old; elderly"
头 (tóu) – "head; person; end"

Literally "collapsing the old man" or "making the old man break down." Coined as internet slang on 抖音 (Dǒuyīn) around 2024.

Noun

崩老头 (bēng lǎo tóu)

(Chinese internet slang) A viral social media trend originating on 抖音 (Dǒuyīn) circa 2024, in which young rural women known as 精神小妹 (jīngshén xiǎomèi, "spirited sisters") solicit escalating monetary gifts from older or middle-aged men via social media under the guise of companionship, culminating in blocking the target once he can no longer provide — thereby "collapsing" him.
(by extension) Any act of gradually extracting money or gifts from an emotionally vulnerable man online through feigned affection or friendship.

Usage notes

The "old man" (老头) in this term is metaphorical and does not refer exclusively to elderly men. Targets are categorized by generation into a so-called "old man ecosystem":
- 青档 (qīng dàng) – men born in the 2000s ("adolescent uncs")
- 中档 (zhōng dàng) – men born in the 1990s ("middle uncs")
- 老档 (lǎo dàng) – men born in the 1980s ("uncs")
- 至尊档 / 神古档 – men born in the 1960s–1970s ("supreme" or "divine ancient uncs")
The trend is generally considered legal in China, operating in a grey area of transactional emotional labour rather than fraud.
Often associated with the 精神小妹 (jīngshén xiǎomèi) rural e-girl subculture on 抖音 and 快手 (Kuǎishǒu).

Verb