When we make Chinese friends in China, the first thing we do is add them on Wechat. In my opinion, China is the only place in the world where people add each other on social media so immediately.
When we make Chinese friends in China, the first thing we do is add them on Wechat. In my opinion, China is the only place in the world where people add each other on social media so immediately. Westerners usually don’t add new friends on Facebook within the first five minutes of meeting them.
Understanding the QR Code Awkwardness
The simplest way to add someone is by scanning their QR code. But have you ever f elt the awkwardness of not being sure whether to scan or be scanned?
This is easy to solve, but before we get into it, let’s take a quick look at different ways of adding people on Wechat. The oldest way is by simply searching their username.
A funnier way is through “shake it”. By shaking your phones at the same time, you will show up on each other’s phones. Also, you may find someone else who is coincidentally shaking their phone at that moment.
Another way is the WeChat “radar”, a technology similar to “shake it. The difference is that you don’t need to shake your phone, and neither does your friend.
Last but not least, it’s QR code time! WeChat has developed a personal QR code for every user as their digital identity, which has become the most popular with its efficiency of adding any WeChat contact. Simply let the others scan you and you will be on their phones right in a second.
Now, about the awkwardness of when to scan and be scanned, especially with a Chinese person where actually the process progresses with a little social rule.
We can come to a solution simply looking at the process between to find your QR code and to scan someone’s code.
To find QR code
Process: WeChat–>”Me”–>click the small QR code on the right side of the top bar “WeChat ID”–>”My QR Code”.
Number of steps: 4
Data used: unknown, but we know it’s close to nothing.
Time took: almost none (unless you are isolated from data)
To scan
Process: WeChat–>top right corner “+”–>”Scan QR Code”
Number of steps: 3
Data used: more than to find QR code
Time took: longer than to find QR code
To find the QR code might have more steps than to scan. But it cost almost zero on data and time. In other words, to scan “costs” more than to find the QR code. So the solution is clear—whoever wants to show respect to the other, or wants to be modest, SCAN. Whoever thinks they are the host, the leader, upper level, FIND QR CODE.
For example, if you are seeing your future teachers or boss, scan them. Vice versa, you should find QR code. If you are the host of a party or giving a speech in a sales pitch, find QR code and let others scan you. Of course, you can be modest and scan everyone else in the room, and that just takes a little more time and data.