Waiting for Tuấn at the café was a young man around his age. The two had connected through a "chat with a stranger" service on social media the previous evening.
For 60 minutes, Tuấn talked about his work pressures and his love life. His four-year relationship had just ended, despite plans to marry. At the same time, a project at his company had failed, leaving Tuấn on the verge of being fired.
The young man opposite him listened attentively. Occasionally, he expressed empathy and offered his own perspective.
"He didn't judge or offer advice, I just talked so someone would listen," Tuấn said. "I felt so much lighter."
Tuấn, who lives in Đống Đa District, had spent weeks "drowning" in stress and despair as everything fell apart one after another like a "domino effect". Work was stressful, with constant pressure to meet his boss's KPI requirements, while he no longer had his partner by his side.
Tuấn did not tell his parents because he feared worrying them. He had only a few close friends, all of whom had families of their own. Even arranging coffee with them on weekends was difficult, while texting was cumbersome and did not allow him to share everything.
While browsing social media, he happened upon a group for sharing personal concerns. People posted their feelings anonymously and received attention and responses. The service made clear that its listeners were not doctors or psychologists, but simply listened like friends, with fees starting at 300.000 dong for 60 minutes.
"I found it unusual, interesting and suitable for people who are just stressed, but not to the point of needing a hospital or therapy center," Tuấn said.
After the appointment, he felt his mood improve.
The service Tuấn tried goes by various names, but all fall under the category of companionship, meaning paid forms of connection, listening and emotional sharing, which are growing in Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore.
According to the Asian Youth Research Institute, around 30% of Singaporeans and 70% of Hong Kong residents aged 18-30 use companionship to ease loneliness and social pressure. Clients can also hire a friend to confide in, go hiking with or pose as a romantic partner to introduce to their families.
In Vietnam, a survey by VnExpress found that the service emerged in early 2025, with a few providers in TP HCM and Hà Nội. Each conversation lasts 30-120 minutes, with prices ranging from 300.000-500.000 dong, in various formats such as Zoom, phone calls or in-person meetings.
"They just need someone who listens seriously, without judging,"
Around 80% of clients are young people. Demand rises after Tết, during exam season or when many people experience mild crises. They include school and university students and working people who live far from home or are going through upheavals such as breakups, job losses or academic pressure.
The service creates a safe space for clients to open up. Listeners are trained to listen without judging or interrupting. They are instructed to avoid imposing advice, not to say "what you should do" but to ask open-ended questions so clients can find their own way forward.
Ngọc Ánh, 23, turned to a paid listening service after feeling lonely and trapped following a conflict with her close circle of friends at the end of month 4. People she had trusted and helped suddenly turned their backs on her.
Work pressures left her exhausted and irritable. Ánh feared light, often keeping the curtains tightly closed and only feeling safe in darkness. Living in Hà Nội, she did not confide in relatives for fear of "more pressure". She had previously sought psychological counseling but felt that "the doctor viewed the problem more through a professional lens than an emotional one".
Over 30 minutes, Ánh poured out her feelings and cried. She felt that talking to a stranger was easier because "they don't know who I am". The person she spoke with did not offer specific advice, merely suggesting that she try going out, having coffee, painting or arranging flowers to unwind. "Life out there is still vibrant and colorful," Ánh recalled as the remark that struck her.
Nguyễn Thị Đào Lưu, who holds a master's degree in psychology and lectures in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Văn Lang University, said that being listened to is a basic need that helps people feel understood and release their emotions.
Gen Z has grown up in the digital era, taking in vast amounts of information from social media every day while facing many expectations from family and society, making them particularly vulnerable to psychological crises.
According to the Ministry of Health, around 15% of Vietnam's population, equivalent to 15 million people, have mental disorders, with many young people going untreated. The main causes are work pressures, financial strain and the pace of modern life, particularly amid the rapid growth of the Internet.
Ngọc Ngân
