Summary of the News
This article begins with a bizarre trending story about a 75-year-old man from Shaoxing, who, with no intention of gaining attention, spent 6 yuan on a gourd seed from the market. After five days of labor, he grew seven misshapen gourds. Netizens then associated him with the childhood icon “Huluwa” (Gourd Kids) and assigned him the role of a man who uses the gourds as a spiritual connection to his deceased daughter, creating the “Grandpa Huluwa” meme. As a result, numerous internet celebrities and tourists flocked to his home for photos and videos, some even impersonating characters from the series. The noise caused the old man’s wife to fall ill from stress. In the end, the old man cut down all the gourd vines himself, ending the unnecessary attention surge. The article doesn’t merely criticize the lack of decency among the internet users; it delves into the deeper issues of the current traffic-driven culture, the collective decline in people’s attention spans, and the widespread pursuit of cheap thrills.
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Popular Explanation of the News
1. The entire internet frenzy was essentially a fabricated “traffic-driven story”
From start to finish, no one planned this event; all the highlights were created by the netizens and the traffic algorithms. The seven gourds varied in size and had nothing to do with the perfectly uniform gourds in the animated series. The old man’s hobby of growing gourds was simply a pastime after retirement, and the title “Grandpa Huluwa” came from the tourists themselves. However, several factors combined to strike a chord with the public: the emotional appeal of the national childhood icon, the sympathetic image of a lonely elderly person, and the opportunity for internet celebrities to gain followers for free. Initially, people visited with goodwill, but once the traffic started to rise, no one cared whether the old man wanted to be part of it.
2. The essence of the traffic ecosystem is “herd mentality” – exploit and leave without a trace
No one really cared about the old man’s well-being. Internet celebrities gained followers and tips by broadcasting at his home, platforms increased daily活跃 users to earn advertising revenue, and local businesses sold more drinks. The most absurd part was when a nearby coffee shop tried to capitalize on the trend by displaying new gourds, only to find no buyers. People were interested in the unique “Grandpa Huluwa” meme, not the gourds themselves. Once the trend faded, everyone moved on to the next hot topic, just like a swarm of locusts leaving a field after feeding.
3. Our tendency to join such mindless excitement reflects a “laziness” in our brains
The article’s mention of decreased attention spans is not an exaggeration. Twenty years ago, office workers could focus on tasks for 2.5 minutes; now, the average attention span is less than 47 seconds. Our brains are evolved to conserve energy. Watching in-depth analyses or thinking about complex issues is mentally demanding and risky, but spotting a trending story like “someone impersonating a character from Huluwa” is easy and can lead to quick viral content. Traffic platforms exploit this by pushing such easy-to-consume content. The more we engage, the more the platforms earn, leading to a cycle where we rely on even more mindless entertainment.
4. The widespread participation in meaningless excitement reflects a sense of emptiness among people
Don’t just blame the tourists who came to the old man’s home; most of them had no ill intentions. The options for “low-cost pleasure” online are limited. Hard work may not yield rewards, and expressing different opinions online often leads to criticism. Real achievements are becoming harder to achieve. Participating in trends like “Grandpa Huluwa” offers a low-cost way to feel engaged without effort, filling a sense of emptiness in our daily lives.
5. The old man’s action serves as a reminder
Only the old man who grew the gourds remained clear-headed. He didn’t seek followers or sell related products. His act of cutting down the gourds cut off all the unnecessary attention. It’s like when we watch short videos, we often become part of the crowd without realizing it. We should learn from him, taking a break from the constant stream of information, spending time on meaningful activities, and not letting traffic control our lives.