'Whoever Makes a Simple TV for the Elderly, I'll Promote It Free for a Year' — Luo Yonghao's Viral Offer

Chinese tech personality Luo Yonghao made an offer that quickly went viral across the Chinese internet: if anyone builds a genuinely simple TV for elderly users, he will promote it for them for free for an entire year. Part joke, part industry critique, the remark reignited a complaint that never goes away — smart TVs have gotten smarter, and harder to use.

What he said

Luo, a veteran entrepreneur and popular livestreamer known for blunt product talk, argued that today's televisions have become "increasingly complicated" while staying "increasingly unpleasant" for the people who most often watch them. His proposed prize — a year of free promotion, with his own star power attached — was framed as a dare to manufacturers who, he said, have abandoned the basic question of who is actually sitting in front of the screen.

Why it resonates in China

The elderly population in China is large and growing, and older viewers are often the primary daily users of the living-room TV. The modern smart-TV experience — layered menus, forced logins, promotional screens, and settings buried deep in submenus — is a recurring grievance. Chinese internet users filled the replies with photos of their parents' TV screens, app icons, and "help requested" moments, turning Luo's hypothetical product into an instant referendum on who consumer electronics are really designed for.

The real conversation behind the joke

Beyond the stunt, the discussion is largely about software design rather than hardware. Commenters point out that a "simple TV" doesn't need a new processor; it needs an interface that respects the viewer. Whether any manufacturer answers the dare remains to be seen, but the offer already did its job — making an old complaint feel new again, and putting a price tag on accessibility.