“What young people can do, we older people can do too. We should keep up with the trend of the times. With the help of information technology, we can adapt to the information age and bring more color into our lives,” said Liu Hongwei, a 53-year-old live-streaming host who teaches people how to knit, Chinanews.com reported Thursday.

(Photo/Chinanews.com)

Liu is a member of a live-streaming team made up of six hosts in China. These hosts, who are retired women with an average age of 50, take turns to host live-streaming shows every day.

The team was established more than a year ago by Zhang Ka, the owner of an online shop selling knitting wool and tools on an e-commerce platform.

These hosts are all moms who are knitting enthusiasts and fans of Zhang’s shop, according to Zhang, who invited them to teach young people knitting via live-streaming.

Many young people don’t know where to start after buying knitting wool, so these hosts can show them how to do it, Zhang said, adding that some of these moms have 30 to 40 years of experience knitting and can solve any problems that a green hand might encounter.

These moms-turned-hosts are very friendly and patient with viewers, and have plenty of time on their hands to host the shows, Zhang said.

Age is not a problem for her at all, said Liu, noting that anything is possible.

As the first member of the team, Liu has been praised by many viewers for her gentle and cultivated hosting style.

(Photo/Chinanews.com)

Zhao Yaqin, another member of the team, said the shows have enriched her retired life and given her a greater sense of self-worth.

“I feel a great sense of achievement doing this job. I think it’s also a new stage for me after retirement,” Zhao said.

“One of the good changes it has brought them is that they have all become more beautiful since they started doing the shows. They put on light make-up and pay more attention to their clothes and accessories before the show. Also, we use beauty filters during the show, which makes them feel younger,” Zhang revealed.

These moms host at least four shows a day, and can draw nearly 30,000 viewers daily.

The sales volume of Zhang’s online shop during the first half of the year reached 10 million yuan ($1.4 million), 10 times that of the same period in the past year, thanks to the hosts’ efforts.

But for these moms, strong sales and an income are just a bonus of the job. The reason they enjoy spending time on these shows is that it helps them realize their personal value and gives them a sense of achievement.