The 996 work culture which means 9AM to 9PM for 6 days a week; but it goes beyond the 9 to 9 working hours. Employees essentially have to work 24/7, as there are responsibilities that extend these hours. People have bought into this culture out of necessity along with societal pressure and it doesn’t seem like the government wants it to stop. Chinese law states that employers can’t force employees to work more than 8 hours a day and 44 hours a week which makes 996 illegal, but this law is not strongly enforced. Companies have found ways to bypass this “law”, if not for this they would be bankrupt. The biggest factor of the 996 work culture is social pressure; there is a huge wealth gap between blue collar and white collar workers. If the middle class (white collar workers) don’t work hard enough, they will slip down to the lower class. Another point is that 996 is inevitable if someone wants to keep their societal rank as many endure the 996 work culture so they won’t be labeled as the lazy one, the one who couldn’t handle a “little bit of stress.”
“Lying flat” has recently gained attention and a rather sizable following among the younger working population in China. “Lying flat” refers to a new way of life - a way of life that minimizes personal desires and consists of working periodically purely to meet the basic needs of survival. The roots for this movement stem from growing disappointment among the younger population with regards to social injustice and the “involuted” nature of current society. “Involution”, a new Chinese buzzword, describes increased excessive competition within a field and can be understood within the context of China’s drive towards rapid technological advancement. As a result, many Chinese citizens are overworked and feel as though they are not reaping the benefits of their hard work due to lower wages. Many citizens illustrate this sense of involution metaphorically through comparing themselves to chives, harvested by the government. Therefore, in an effort to “escape” from an involuted life, many have joined together to practice this lifestyle of “lying flat”.
Education from the lowest to the highest levels is a top priority for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), students under China’s revised education system are taught so that they are more likely to believe that China cares about their wellbeing, the CCP is democratic, and more skeptical of western opinions. Promoting ethnocentrism, China has painted a picture where they are better than other nations and how their “democracy” is better than that of the West, even going so far as to changing their definition of democracy in textbooks. Young patriots are called Little Pink and the deliberate education to foster hypersensitive patriotism resulted in the brainwashing of their citizens to believe that all criticism of the CCP is an attack on China. Others who are against the CCP are called Rebels and many are coming to a realization of what the CCP is doing by bypassing firewalls to access outside sources.
The younger Chinese population has a major spending problem, so much so that over half of the post 90’s population is in substantial debt. The extreme consumer culture and high demand for material goods can be attributed to the fact that most of this generation was born under the implementation of China’s “one child policy” and is arguably used to being “spoiled”. The insatiable desire for material goods accompanied by low average salaries (4203 yuan a month in Xi’An), resulted in the increased presence of online loans. According to a Report from China’s Banking Association, the younger generation accounts for more than 90% of consumer loans from finance companies. In addition, over half of those taking out loans cannot pay the debt back in time. Therefore, much of the younger generation is submerged in mounting debt, with an HSBC survey estimating around 17,433 US dollars of debt per capita.
The youth Chinese population are divided into groups: those who embrace China’s prospects and those who deviate from it. Many youth Chinese are hermits, those who stay at home all day; others are Buddha. Not Buddha as in the religion, but more associated with the Buddha-like mindset where the youth are at peace with themselves and not buying into the “rat race” that is the workaholic Chinese culture.
Many are gravitating towards subcultures such as otaku’s and the LGBTQ community, much to the dismay of social norms and parental expectations. Chinese youth are content with a more comfortable material life, resulting in diversity among Chinese youth. This separation can be attributed to the difficulty of climbing the Chinese social ladder. Lack of social mobility discourages the young and is one the main reasons for the present day Chinese youth culture. Alternatively, this encourages Chinese youth to find inner peace with themselves and establish this subculture hierarchy based on their own interests, so one can climb their own social hierarchy. The goal is to establish a new cultural capital to rival the dominant culture. This begs the question, if each generation is different, why escape this culture when one could work to change it?
“Bai lan” is another recent buzzword common among the younger generation. Like “tang ping”, the phrase “bai lan” encompasses negative attitudes regarding the younger generations’ perception of the outlook on their lives. Much of this generation is disheartened by the current high unemployment rates, reaching 18% among ages 16 - 24. The high unemployment rates come as no surprise given the current lockdown state of China and the impact that zero covid policy has inflicted upon the Chinese economy. As a result, millions of college students struggle finding employment and satisfactory wages upon graduation - giving rise to this attitude of “bai lan” or “let it rot”.
The notion of “Bai lan” is popular on the Weibo platform, with some individuals posting statements such as “Hard to find a job after graduation this year? Fine, I’ll just bai lan - stay at home and watch TV all day”. This platform contains many similar statements but overall, they express this common mindset of “I can not make it” due to various factors, notably shrinking economic opportunities.
China’s youth are becoming influenced by Western culture as they find it more attractive. American chains such as Starbucks, McDonalds, and KFC are among the most popular chains in China, even beating out Chinese chains. Skateboarders in China openly state Western influences as reasons for how they conduct themselves. The way they perform and practice, style of clothing, and even some beliefs. This goes to show how Western influence has penetrated China with its brands and ideas.
But the government is pushing back; they want to stop, in their eyes, the infiltration of hostile Western forces. Starting with stricter enforcement of mass media by removing media they find unacceptable from prime time. This could include media that depict people going against the law or dramas with contents of immorality, moral and ethical betrayals. Media is also controlled by ushering its citizens to use the Chinese versions of popular platforms in America such as Twitter and Instagram. Wanting less disobedience from its citizens who are criticizing the government and comparing it with western culture, essentially taking back control of its citizens. Many have stated that the democratic nature, freedom, and open mindedness are some of the appeals of American / Western culture.
Recently China has seen a steady decline in marriages, specifically a 31.2% drop since 2013. Out of the 160 million post 90’s (1990 - 1999) population, only a little over 10% are getting married. Based on conventional Chinese marriage statistics, the marriage rate among this population should be around 70-80%. This decrease is concerning to the Chinese government - a decline in marriage entails a decrease in birth rates which as a result affects population size and future socio economic development.
Despite these outcomes, many among the younger generation choose not to marry for a couple of reasons. For one, marriage comes with a high cost especially to the groom’s family. The groom is expected to provide the wife with a house, car, and dowry which can amount up to 600,000 to 1 million RMB. In addition, the income rates of this generation are quite low, with many being unable to afford a home, marriage and especially children. Most individuals of this generation are also extremely busy, adhering to a 996 lifestyle with almost no time to date and seek a partner. For these reasons, being single in China has become increasingly common and is viewed as a normal personal choice.
Due to falling population rates, China has implemented a three-child policy after decades of a one-child policy. This policy was enacted due to the falling population rates in China and the need for a growing economy. This policy has received a lot of backlash as many can’t see themselves having three kids or aren't even married yet.
Women who are single past the age of 27 and men past the age of 30 are branded as 剩女 (shèngnǚ) – leftover. This term was created by the government and due to societal pressure. If a woman isn’t married by the age of 24, they are labeled as having high standards, she's arrogant. For men, if they aren’t married by 30, most people think that they have ambitions or still have to work. These leftover people are due to the imbalance of male to female ratio as a result of the one child policy. Families aborted female babies as there is a huge preference for sons; in 2020, there were 723 million males with 688 million females, a 35 million deficit.
In rural communities, marriage is biased due to the importance of lineage and the only way to do this is to have sons. Even the government has suggested that leftover men in rural areas should learn some new skills so they can move into the city to date leftover women. Both sides find this proposition ridiculous, lifestyles are very different. Youth today want their freedom, have ambitions, earn money and are not ready for a family. But society and their families force them to start families.
The overall attitude of the Chinese youth can be characterized by a feeling of hopelessness. Recent buzzwords such as “the last generation” and “let it rot” communicate these pent up feelings verbally across Chinese social media platforms but these attempts at individual expression and transparency are often censored. Along with the 996 work culture and censorship, many individuals feel helpless under the state apparatus and feel that their individual rights are not respected.
As a result, many among the younger generation are choosing not to have kids despite the government’s tax and income incentives. In fact, a survey reports that ⅔ of female respondents between the ages 18 and 31 are choosing not to have children. They believe that choosing not to have children is the most potent action a resident can take against the Chinese government. In addition, a new “run philosophy” is being adopted among the young which entails leaving the country to find a better life elsewhere. Many young professionals are searching for emigration opportunities and seek new places where they can exercise more individual freedom.