A so - called "Electronic Hua Tuo" appears in Northeast China, treating the "intractable diseases" of the elderly's mobile phones for free.

Recently, a mobile phone repair shop owner named @Harbin Yinuo Communication on Douyin unexpectedly became popular.

He doesn't deliberately shoot funny skits or create eye - catching personas. He just casually records the daily snippets of repairing mobile phones for the elderly. However, with his sincere persona of almost "charging not a single cent" and "being able to solve any tricky problem", he has received millions of likes from netizens, and even Heilongjiang Daily has reported on him.

Click on his videos, and you can see that the mobile phone problems the elderly encounter are extremely diverse:

An old man asked, "Why doesn't my WeChat make any sound?" It turned out that the notification permission was accidentally turned off.

An old woman complained that her phone couldn't connect to the Internet. As it turned out, the data traffic wasn't turned on at all.

There was also an elderly person who said that the phone screen wouldn't slide. Actually, the "reading mode" was accidentally turned on, and it would return to normal after turning it off...

The picture is from Douyin

However, these problems that seem difficult to the elderly can be solved by @Harbin Yinuo Communication in less than a minute. Many elderly people were extremely surprised when they got their phones back: "It couldn't be turned on in my hands, but how did it turn on in yours?"

After watching dozens of his videos, you'll find that there are hardly any real hardware failures in the mobile phones of the elderly.

99% of the problems are due to "accidental operations" or the phones being filled with unknown rogue software. Pop - up ads keep appearing, making the system as slow as a brick.

But if you ask them, "Did you download this software yourself?", the answers are almost the same :

"I don't know." "I didn't do anything." "I don't understand." "It wasn't me." "XXX touched my phone that day..."

These answers sound funny at first, but when you think about them carefully, they are full of sadness.

Hundreds of millions of elderly people are trapped in mobile phone phobia

The Statistical Report on the Development of the Internet in China released by the China Internet Network Information Center shows that as of June 2025, the number of Internet users aged 60 and above in China has reached 161 million, and the Internet penetration rate is 52.0%.

If we also count the elderly who use feature phones, smart bracelets, Bluetooth speakers and other electronic devices, the actual number of people who will encounter similar problems will only be larger.

However, for many elderly people, "using a mobile phone" and "knowing how to use a mobile phone" are two completely different things. Those operations that are easy for young people are insurmountable digital divides for them.

Many young people often complain that their parents "are reluctant to learn", but is the problem really all on them?

On the one hand, the elderly are old, learn slowly and forget quickly. Coupled with the fact that their children get annoyed after teaching them two or three times, it's naturally difficult for them to master. On the other hand, many children work outside all year round, and the time they spend with their parents is limited. When the elderly encounter problems, there is no one to ask.

What's more troublesome is that today's splash screen ads are everywhere. If you're not careful, you'll be redirected to download something. There are also "family - bucket" types of junk software. Delete one, and four or five will be automatically reinstalled. Even young people have to rack their brains when encountering such problems, not to mention the elderly who only have a vague understanding.

Once an operation goes wrong, some children not only don't comfort their parents but also blame them: "I've told you so many times not to click randomly!" This kind of blame will only deepen the elderly's sense of frustration and make them more resistant to new things.

So, many people simply choose "not to touch and there won't be any mistakes", completely isolating themselves from digital life.

Free repairs, priceless kindness

Understanding these, it's easy to understand why @Harbin Yinuo Communication has become popular.

Because when it comes to dealing with the elderly, he is more patient than most young people. He never laughs at the "malfunctions" caused by the elderly's accidental operations. Instead, he will teach them step by step how to operate in person.

Moreover, when facing the elderly's requests for help, he hardly charges a single cent. If an elderly person insists on paying, he only takes one or two yuan symbolically, just to make the person feel better.

Once, an old woman even shed tears after getting her repaired phone back and said, "If you charged me, I'd feel better now."

The picture is from Douyin

Netizens in the comment section said, "I hope that when my mother encounters difficulties and I'm not around, she can also meet such a helpful young man."

When being interviewed by @Heilongjiang Daily, @Harbin Yinuo Communication said:

"I've helped thousands of elderly people for free. Since I've been running this shop for almost 10 years, most of them are nearby residents. Their children are working outside and not around. When there's something wrong with their phones, they'll think of me first because they trust me. When I meet such situations, I'll just help them. After all, it's just a small thing within my power."

Although his words are simple, few people can do it.

You know, free repairs seem heart - warming, but there is almost no profit for the shop owner. Even if he solves a dozen such "malfunctions" a day, he may not earn a single cent.

However, it is precisely these "unprofitable" services that have won him the trust of the elderly.

Some elderly people sent him mutton kebabs, some sent him apples, and some even gave him the highest praise in Northeast China: "You're a good kid!"

The picture is from Douyin

In this era that emphasizes efficiency and returns, it's really rare for someone to be willing to spend time and solve trivial problems for strangers without asking for any reward.

Fortunately, short - video platforms have given ordinary people a chance to voice their opinions, allowing these small but warm acts of kindness to be seen by more people and making the kindness of @Harbin Yinuo Communication have a wider resonance.

The era of ordinary people, the power of reality

Nowadays, on major short - video platforms, the number of ordinary people like @Harbin Yinuo Communication who record their real daily lives through short videos is quietly increasing.

Just as TopKlout once reported:

@Longteng Huyue Long Veterinarian, who treats cows for villagers, goes on house calls even at 2 a.m. and has dealt with 3,000 cows' behinds in a year;

Master Song Jinbo of @Chaoyue Appliance Repair, who repairs pots and electrical appliances at low prices;

@Linghai City Li Hong Hardware and Plumbing, who sells wrenches, screws and water pipes with just one word "Yes"...

The picture is from Douyin

They are all ordinary people, but they have solved many people's urgent problems in life with the simplest actions. The videos of these people not only allow us to see the kindness in ordinary life but also trigger many of our thoughts.

Take @Harbin Yinuo Communication as an example. The elderly who watch his videos can learn some small mobile phone skills. These skills may be more useful than a single repair.

The younger generation, after seeing these scenes, may also think of their own parents and that they may also be embarrassed and helpless because of a small function.

Thinking deeper, these videos actually remind us that in an era when technology is advancing at full speed, there will always be people left behind. Today it may be our parents, and tomorrow it may be ourselves decades later.

Twenty or thirty years later, when AI, holographic interaction or more advanced technologies become part of daily life, will we, when we are old, be at a loss? Will we also long for someone who doesn't dislike or rush us and patiently answers our questions?

So, the world needs more people like @Harbin Yinuo Communication:

They don't have to be mobile phone repairmen. They can be children who patiently teach their parents how to take a taxi, register at a hospital or order takeout; they can be volunteers who open "mobile phone classes" in the community; they can also be product designers who create a simple, safe and ad - free "elderly mode" from the perspective of the elderly...

Conclusion

The original intention of technology is to make life better. However, if we only pursue speed and efficiency and ignore those who can't keep up for the time being, then even the most advanced technology will lose its warmth.

These ordinary people are actually using short - video and live - streaming technologies to spread kindness and illuminate those neglected corners.

What do you think of the actions of @Harbin Yinuo Communication? Welcome to communicate with us in the comments!

This article is from the WeChat official account "TopKlout" (ID: TopKlout), author: Xiaosong. It is published by 36Kr with permission.