Beijing: The ferocity of the same-sex marriage debate among Chinese Australians could be "good" training for democracy, but risks alienating young people, a Chinese newspaper has reported.

Under the headline "Divided down under", the Global Times newspaper reports that conservative, and mostly Christian, elderly Chinese have been politically activated in a way previously not seen in Australia.

WeChat, the popular Chinese social media platform, had become "a virtual battlefield" in Australia between the two sides of the same-sex marriage debate.

University of Queensland PhD student Liu Tingting, who researches Chinese dating apps and Chinese sexual culture, says the social media platform is being flooded with alarmist and offensive posts opposing same-sex marriage.