INTERVIEW WITH JULIA

The second interviewee is Julia, who launched her PTGF business on Instagram in Sept, 2017. Julia’s case is quite unique among PTGFs in Hong Kong as she tries to differentiate herself from typical PTGF that she does not provide any sex plans and she builds up friend-relationship with her followers. Julia attended the RTHK programme 'Hong Kong Connection’ and raised quite intense debate online. The interview was conducted on 25 Nov 2017 via the new Instagram ‘Go LIVE with a friend’ function, which allows us to communicate by live streaming on Instagram simultaneously and Julia’s followers would also participate by commenting during the live.

Julia is currently a sales of cosmetic products. Before that, she had 10 years of working experience as marketing sales and waitress. The reason for her to enter the industry was that she noticed that people in Hong Kong face lots of stress and some of them need someone to hear from them as well as to understand them. She claimed that her financial status is normal and PTGF is a platform for her to gain the sense of satisfaction in helping others. Also, she enjoys cooking and making handicrafts so that she could share her interests with others and gain income at the same time.

When she was asked of the difference between a fulltime job and the job of PTGF, she replied that being a PTGF allows her to do what she really wants and she does not have to serve her followers humbly like what she does in her fulltime job. Also, there is no restricted working hours or specific working procedures to follow as a PTGF but in return, she receives compliments and approvement from others. ‘It’s a win-win situation,’ she said.

However, Julia still confessed that danger does exist in the industry and the situation becomes worse after she did the interview on TV. ‘People would keep talking about you online, where they can hide their real identity, and some would make up fake stories just to make fun of her but most of the people would believe in them. Perhaps I was sentenced guilty since the day I called myself as PTGF’. Julia stressed that Hong Kong people are too close-minded and suppressed that demonizes PTGF. Ironically, PTGF arouses because of people’s demand for it but it becomes forbidden and indecent when the issue is on mainstream. The hostility to PTGF would not cease without changing people’s mindset and there is still a long way to go to legitimate the career so as to enforce law in protection of the workers.