China's unemployed Gen Z are proudly calling themselves 'rat people' and spending entire days in bed
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Instead of even trying to chase jobs that seem out of reach, Gen Z is embracing living like a rat—not showering or leaving the house for days at a time.
The millennial era of “work hard, play harder” and “girl bossing” has given way to a new trend. In China, at least, Gen Zers are proudly calling themselves “rat people”—they’re spending entire days procrastinating in bed, scrolling on their phones, snoozing and ordering take out.
I think it has something to do with "giving up" on the economy: if you have very low chances of landing a job anyways, why even try?
The article does not directly tell us how many people participate in this movement consciously. It does hint, however:
Today, over 4 million American Gen Zers remain jobless. In China, the government has said that as of February, 1 in 6 young people are unemployed.
I'm doing the same thing in the US after getting laid off, have no energy or motivation to apply for jobs or prep for interview. I'm kinda depressed about this situation but also kinda happy to have the freedom to actually rest and breath again, for a first world country the American work system is draconic, and tying Healthcare access to a job is just inhumane
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I always find these articles being so popular in western social media weird and subtly braggy. It's like the Lyndon Johnson quote about about making white feel better than black people so you can rob them of whatever. Such a distraction that makes people feel like we're better than them/at least we're not them. Yet pretty much every trend I've seen about Chinese ennui was at the time true of Americans and western Europeans just articles being written about the ennui would not be mainstream for a couple more years. Like minimalism during the financial crisis or recently quiet-quitting in the US were celebrated in US social media as great workers movements that are positive social movements and a sign of cultural strength while lying flat in China in US social media is a sign of societal decline. Whatever either is, it's the same shit. It's always weird exoticism to me. You don't get popular articles about youth expectations about young people in Romania or Greece
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Ehh it’s just your projection, people aren’t okay all over the world because of global downturn
There’s no bragging, just journalism. I am from Poland btw and here and in eu all gen z have similar tendencies. Worse in USA and China probably but it is a global trend
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I'm doing the same thing in the US after getting laid off, have no energy or motivation to apply for jobs or prep for interview. I'm kinda depressed about this situation but also kinda happy to have the freedom to actually rest and breath again, for a first world country the American work system is draconic, and tying Healthcare access to a job is just inhumane
Sorry to hear you lost your job. Hoping the best for you, internet stranger!
I agree that tying healthcare to one's job is totally fucked up. Everyone should get healthcare, period. A less than 40 hour work week, and a ubi would be nice too.
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Careful, I hear ml and hexbear users gearing up anticapitalist rhetoric to one up you with. I see the fedoras and neckbeards in the distance
Living rent free in your head.
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How dare they speak against capitalism! Only people as smart and cool as us know the Truth
️The Reddit liberals are here and it’s disgusting.
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Instead of even trying to chase jobs that seem out of reach, Gen Z is embracing living like a rat—not showering or leaving the house for days at a time.
The millennial era of “work hard, play harder” and “girl bossing” has given way to a new trend. In China, at least, Gen Zers are proudly calling themselves “rat people”—they’re spending entire days procrastinating in bed, scrolling on their phones, snoozing and ordering take out.
I think it has something to do with "giving up" on the economy: if you have very low chances of landing a job anyways, why even try?
The article does not directly tell us how many people participate in this movement consciously. It does hint, however:
Today, over 4 million American Gen Zers remain jobless. In China, the government has said that as of February, 1 in 6 young people are unemployed.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]The greatest tragedy of 21 century is masses of pacified people who farm karma and validity online in some circlejerks to feel dopamine hits from moral superiority.
It’s the real brain drain of today.
When they give up, the Machiavellists who were countered by brave people in the past come in full force.
I ask you… no I beg you. Use the internet to enhance communication, not just as an escape. We cannot afford to run from the problems any longer
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Living rent free in your head.
Here's one of their alt accounts now!
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The Reddit liberals are here and it’s disgusting.
The
Redditliberals are here and it's disgusting. -
Wasn't there also the "lie flat" trend? It's not just Gen Z who are calling uncle. If I had the means, I'd join them.
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The greatest tragedy of 21 century is masses of pacified people who farm karma and validity online in some circlejerks to feel dopamine hits from moral superiority.
It’s the real brain drain of today.
When they give up, the Machiavellists who were countered by brave people in the past come in full force.
I ask you… no I beg you. Use the internet to enhance communication, not just as an escape. We cannot afford to run from the problems any longer
To tell another story, workers are like kindle of the great furnace of the industrial-capitalist complex, and to stay at home is to take away the fuel from the machine.
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Instead of even trying to chase jobs that seem out of reach, Gen Z is embracing living like a rat—not showering or leaving the house for days at a time.
The millennial era of “work hard, play harder” and “girl bossing” has given way to a new trend. In China, at least, Gen Zers are proudly calling themselves “rat people”—they’re spending entire days procrastinating in bed, scrolling on their phones, snoozing and ordering take out.
I think it has something to do with "giving up" on the economy: if you have very low chances of landing a job anyways, why even try?
The article does not directly tell us how many people participate in this movement consciously. It does hint, however:
Today, over 4 million American Gen Zers remain jobless. In China, the government has said that as of February, 1 in 6 young people are unemployed.
The whole gig economy / hustle culture was deliberately abused by companies treating people like consultants except with low wages and certainly zero benefits. People are taking all the downside and businesses are completely covered from any liability. It has to end somewhere.
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Chinese treatment of animals is beyond anything else I’ve ever seen.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_Giant_Panda_Sanctuaries
Oh, the inhumanity
wrote on last edited by [email protected]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare_and_rights_in_China
In 2014, China received an E out of possible grades A, B, C, D, E, F, G on World Animal Protection's Animal Protection Index
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark_fin_soup
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Meat_Festival
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang_zoo_scandal
Etc. Etc.That being said, I do think Chinese government is at least trying to drag the culture into reality.
The panda zoos were meant to spearhead the change in animal perception but it didn't really trickle down to other animals and is widely considered to be a failure in that regard. Though there's a big law proposition right now but it's stuck since 2009:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_protection_law_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China
So China is still good 50 years behind the developed world when it comes to animal respect if not more.
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To tell another story, workers are like kindle of the great furnace of the industrial-capitalist complex, and to stay at home is to take away the fuel from the machine.
Only when the machine stops can we finally take it apart and fix all its problems. (I dont entirely know what this means I just wanted to say something profound-sounding)
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Only when the machine stops can we finally take it apart and fix all its problems. (I dont entirely know what this means I just wanted to say something profound-sounding)
thank you, i have been saying the same thing
Only when the machine stops can we finally take it apart and fix all its problems
That is what meditation is. Deliberately pausing for a while, to fix your internal problems.
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I always find these articles being so popular in western social media weird and subtly braggy. It's like the Lyndon Johnson quote about about making white feel better than black people so you can rob them of whatever. Such a distraction that makes people feel like we're better than them/at least we're not them. Yet pretty much every trend I've seen about Chinese ennui was at the time true of Americans and western Europeans just articles being written about the ennui would not be mainstream for a couple more years. Like minimalism during the financial crisis or recently quiet-quitting in the US were celebrated in US social media as great workers movements that are positive social movements and a sign of cultural strength while lying flat in China in US social media is a sign of societal decline. Whatever either is, it's the same shit. It's always weird exoticism to me. You don't get popular articles about youth expectations about young people in Romania or Greece
I would imagine it reads rather differently to different people. Rich guys reading Forbes probably think it's a great dunk on China. Meanwhile, I'm reading it thinking, "Shit, I could get behind this. Just wish I lived somewhere that it didn't mean I would be homeless in less than a year if I tried it."
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Nah Chinese culture is very well known for this. Have you been living under a rock?
Chinese treatment of animals is beyond anything else I've ever seen. There's just fundamental lack of education and respect for non-human creatures. It's trully something else and I'm not being xenophobic here as it's an objective truth.
Even for a country with strong Buddhist and taoist presence it's almost impossible to find vegetarian food unless you go to "sùshí restaurants (special vegetarian restaurants near temples) and outside if that you'll get straight up mocked for eating vegan.
Seriously, my least favorite thing about China. Even worse than whole censorship thing. It's just so incredibly disrespectful to our fellow creatures to the point where it feels intentionally cruel.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Chinese treatment of animals is beyond anything else I've ever seen.
I agree with you...but do you really think America or most of the West would be much better if not for modern animal rights activists?
Modern industrial society has such a wild disconnect from its food, and I don't think most people would care if not for the likes of PETA et al always bringing to the front of their attention.
Myself and my kids are ovo-/lacto- vegetarian. My wife is full blown vegan. We raise a small flock of chickens for eggs and my oldest (2nd grade) loves our hens like members of the family.
You know how some of the kids bully him? By saying they'll come to our house and eat our chickens. I think even a second-grader would know not to say that about a dog...but a chicken? Not even a thought. Even his therapist wasn't disturbed by that until I told her that the chickens are treated more like pets than livestock.
And they should be treated better. They are beautiful, diverse creatures with their own social rules and personalities. You haven't lived till you've gotten stoned and hung out with a flock of hens for a few hours.
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Chinese treatment of animals is beyond anything else I've ever seen.
I agree with you...but do you really think America or most of the West would be much better if not for modern animal rights activists?
Modern industrial society has such a wild disconnect from its food, and I don't think most people would care if not for the likes of PETA et al always bringing to the front of their attention.
Myself and my kids are ovo-/lacto- vegetarian. My wife is full blown vegan. We raise a small flock of chickens for eggs and my oldest (2nd grade) loves our hens like members of the family.
You know how some of the kids bully him? By saying they'll come to our house and eat our chickens. I think even a second-grader would know not to say that about a dog...but a chicken? Not even a thought. Even his therapist wasn't disturbed by that until I told her that the chickens are treated more like pets than livestock.
And they should be treated better. They are beautiful, diverse creatures with their own social rules and personalities. You haven't lived till you've gotten stoned and hung out with a flock of hens for a few hours.
I do agree that activism is required here and it maybe China is really stuck at progressing here as activism is basically illegal. The one case of animals activism that I know (posted in another comment) is zoo employees rising up against awful zoo conditions and animal torture and anti shark fin soup lead by Yao Ming and some other pop stars.
Animal activism just doesn't really exist in China and it really might be the only way to progress this medium.
I'm honestly quite disappointed in Buddhism here. Chinese follow Mahayana branch of Buddhism (same as Japan, Vietnam etc.) Which aims to "help all beings to achieve buddhism" and yet animal rights are non existant and they perform all these rituals of releasing a fish or smt but never do any real action. Just shows how deeply rooted this issue is.
