The Economist July 3rd 2021 pp47|China|Youth Culture|”Giving up, lying down. “Some young Chinese are fed up and opting out of the rat race”
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Summary provided by 2244
Chinese state media and other institutions are proselytizing against tangping by commenting “The only way to ensure a happy life is if one works hard”... gets married and raises a family. Lying flat AKA tangping they comment is “not only unjust but also shameful”...[it is]...an extremely irresponsible attitude that not only disappoints one’s parents but also hundreds of million taxpayers.”
The rise of tangping stems from a belief by many young chinese, in their 20s and 30s, that “hard work no longer rewards them with a better quality of life that their parents experienced with a “booming economy.” They believe “society is stagnating and inequality is growing.” Social media posts showing versions of youth relaxing in bed typically lying around with their cats have gone viral on Wiebo, “a Twitter-like platform. Many respondents, more than 60% of 240,000, agreed that tangping “was their idea of the good life.” Essentially getting by with minimal effort.
Beyond official statements, the dissent is also being quashed in other ways like fewer social media platforms allowing discussion etc. One such site Douban has “banned several online groups promoting the concept.” “A search on Taobao, an ecommerce platform, for T-shirts with messages about lying flat yields only items displaying Communist Party slogans.”
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