Crystal Guo says she typically works for about six months to a year before quitting.
It’s what the 30-year-old describes as her new lifestyle of “intermittent working and persistent lying flat.”
Young people in China are growing disillusioned and frustrated with work and life, and some are now turning their backs on a crushing hustle culture as they face challenges ranging from rising unemployment to layoffs and economic uncertainty.
The competition is so intense that some say they’ve given up on their dreams and aspirations. The concept of “tang ping” — which means “lying flat” in Chinese — became a popularized term in China last year. It was one of the top 10 internet buzzwords in China in 2021, according to the National Language Resource Monitoring and Research Center.
“The popularity of this word reflects the stress and disappointment young people feel,” said Jia Miao, an assistant professor of sociology from New York University Shanghai.
“Tang ping is the rejection of overworking, where you let things be and do the bare minimum,” said Miao.
In March this year, another Chinese term emerged online. Reflecting an attitude toward life, the term “bai lan” is translated to mean “let it rot.” Posts related to the topic have garnered more than 91 million views on Chinese social media giant Weibo as of Wednesday.
The popularity of this word reflects the stress and disappointment young people feel. Jia Miao ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, NYU SHANGHAI.
“Bai lan is where young people refuse to put further efforts [in life] because they just can’t see any hope in doing so,” Miao added.
The term first gained popularity among players on popular video games like “League of Legends,” according to Miao. It was initially used to describe players who retreat or give up during a difficult battle to take up “easier tasks” instead.
Miao added: “This group of people are active Internet users, so this word became popular later even among non-players.”
Read More at https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/16/china-youth-reject-hustle-culture-face-unemployment-economic-uncertainty.html