Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

When personal computers were scarce, many young people enjoyed the happiness brought about by internet cafes. But now, the old internet cafe model has gradually faded out of fashion. Data from Tianyancha, an enterprise information and business data query system, showed that in 2020 a total of 12,888 internet cafes and related enterprises went bankrupt. The main consumer force of internet cafes were largely driven by Generation Y. However, experts have noted that this demographic has aged and gradually become the mainstay of their families. Now, they no longer have much time and energy to go to internet cafes to play games. By contrast, Generation Z has been diverted by mobile games, which they can play at anytime, and anywhere. Viewed from another angle, the decline of internet cafes also reflects how home entertainment environments and increased family income are changing social patterns for more indoor lifestyles. For internet café owners, the era of waiting for customers to come has passed. The most effective way placed in front of them now is to transform their business model. The rise of e-sports industry also provides a new mode of cooperation for internet cafes to entertain.