Discontented Youth in China: Exhausted, Disillusioned Individuals Eschew Employment
Chilling out and doing absolutely nothing has become the newest trend among China's youth, thanks to the "Lying Flat" culture.
Young people are proudly proclaiming their relaxation by sharing videos of themselves spending entire days in bed, surfing the internet, and ordering takeout. Some even call themselves "Rat People," embracing a reclusive lifestyle in response to China's financial struggles.
Originating from the counterculture movement of "Lying Flat," or opting out of performance pressure, this rebellious trend sprang up among Chinese employees, rebelling against the country's grueling 72-hour work weeks and the "996" tech culture.
One young woman boasts in a video, "I refuse to be ashamed of being dependent. I defend the name of the Rat People," as she celebrates her 83rd day of lounging in bed. She shares this video on Rednote, a popular photo app in China, especially among women.
"After three years of hard work, I finally convinced my parents that I can't build wealth for myself with a job," she adds.
A New Wave of Defiance
"Lying Flat" has taken on various forms over the years. The movement included young adults who declared they had given up, essentially choosing to "rot." Others embraced the life of "full-time children," living off their parents.
After the pandemic, "Lying Flat" became incredibly popular on social media. However, being a "Rat Person" means more than just lying flat, refusing work, or giving up.
"Lying flat means: 'I might not be doing anything, not working from nine to five, but I'm still doing things I like,'" said Ophenia Liang, director of Digital Crew, an Asia-focused marketing agency, in an interview.
"The Rat People want to be the exact opposite of the rest of the disciplined and glamorous internet that goes to the gym," she said. Many "Rat People" posts are, in a way, the antithesis of influencer routines found on Instagram or TikTok, or, in China, Weibo and Rednote.
The key to the trend is embracing this low-energy lifestyle. Rat People should be content with withdrawing.
While stories of early-morning workouts are common on American Instagram stars, young "Rat People" on Rednote post "daily plan" videos, lounging in bed at 4 pm and summoning doom on iPads.
A Generational Shift
Attitude is one of the driving forces behind the "Rat People" trend, while affordability is another.
Millennials and Gen Z are the first generations in China who can afford to be unemployed and still survive. "Many of their parents were born in the 60s and 70s and benefited from China's economic growth, so they have some savings," Liang said. "This is the first economic downturn these young people in China are experiencing."
You may not be as resilient as those born in the 60s or 70s. Some might think: "Why bother trying so hard?"
Liang warned that many popular posts about the daily routines of "Rat People" on Weibo and Rednote are likely exaggerated by attention-seekers to go viral. However, their success indicates a more widespread sentiment in the country.
"It appeals to some people's thinking because they might see others their age who are very disciplined and feel guilty," she said. "If you see these 'Rat People' as the other extreme, you feel less guilty."
A Byproduct of China's Slowing Economy
China's ailing economy and competitive professional environment have left many young Chinese disheartened. Today's average Chinese youth faces a tougher and more demanding job market than their parents did.
Last month, the unemployment rate for 16–24-year-olds in China's cities was 16.5%. After the youth unemployment rate reached a record high of 21.3% in the second quarter of 2023, the country temporarily stopped reporting it.
China's National Bureau of Statistics resumed publishing statistics in January 2024 after changing its methodology – to exclude students.
But even for those who found a job, the problems aren't necessarily over. China's grueling "996" tech culture fueled the expectation that everyone should maintain a very strict work schedule.
This sense of disappointment led to the rise of the "Lying Flat" movement in 2021, which promotes the rejection of constant competition in favor of a relaxed, minimalist lifestyle.
Eric Fu, Senior Research Fellow at the Youth Research Collective of the University of Melbourne, explained that the rise of self-deprecating social media trends like the "Rat Person" or the "Lying Flat" isn't necessarily a bad thing – it's an evolution of people's work attitudes in this country.
"It shows that people are starting to think about the work they really want to do and the meaning of their life. It also shows that the Chinese society has become more diverse in a certain way," Fu said.
He also noted that it's easy to misunderstand where these Chinese youth are coming from when they praise the virtues of the "Rat Person."
"This group of people is still a privileged group to a certain extent. They have the luxury to do this, but that doesn't mean they just want to waste their life," Fu said. "They're probably just taking a break."
"It would be really naive to assume that these people just want to live like this forever," he added.
- The "Lying Flat" culture, a trend among China's youth, promotes a reclusive lifestyle, as some young people call themselves "Rat People."
- Ophenia Liang, director of Digital Crew, stated that being a "Rat Person" means cultivating a contentment with withdrawal and embracing a low-energy lifestyle.
- Liang emphasized that the key to the trend is not work refusal or giving up, but rather doing things one enjoys and maintaining a relaxed lifestyle.
- In contrast to American Instagram stars who share early-morning workout stories, young "Rat People" on Rednote post "daily plan" videos, lounging in bed and using iPads.
- Millennials and Gen Z in China, the first generations to afford unemployment and still survive, are driving the "Rat People" trend, according to Liang.
- Liang warned that many popular posts about "Rat People" on Weibo and Rednote might be exaggerated by attention-seekers, but they indicate a more widespread sentiment in the country.
- The "Lying Flat" movement, which promotes the rejection of constant competition in favor of a relaxed lifestyle, emerged in 2021 due to China's tough job market and their Generation's disillusionment with the professional environment.
- Eric Fu, Senior Research Fellow at the Youth Research Collective of the University of Melbourne, believes that the rise of self-deprecating social media trends like the "Rat Person" or the "Lying Flat" is an evolution of people's work attitudes and shows that Chinese society has become more diverse.
